as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point
the curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of billow
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
In southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, clouds billow above the towering mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range.
—John Daley, NPR, 22 June 2025
Kunal Sehgal, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
Though the billowing ruffle sleeves with lace trim give the boho minidress a bit of a 19th-century twist, the drop-waist silhouette and beaded lace headpiece look like they were pulled directly from the 1920s flapper era.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
Smoke billows following an Israeli strike in central Tehran on June 15, 2025.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
In southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, clouds billow above the towering mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range.
—John Daley, NPR, 22 June 2025
Verb
Video from Bangladesh’s Channel 24 showed smoke billowing as firefighters sprayed water onto the crash site while onlookers gathered around.
—Kunal Sehgal, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
Though the billowing ruffle sleeves with lace trim give the boho minidress a bit of a 19th-century twist, the drop-waist silhouette and beaded lace headpiece look like they were pulled directly from the 1920s flapper era.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
That middle-aged wave of insomnia has taught me not to take restful sleep for granted.—
Gwen Rockwood,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
-
No, corn sweat is not the primary cause behind the heat wave Cincinnati is experiencing this week.—
Grace Tucker,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
That power runs through a six-speed sequential gearbox, controlled via a large handle protruding between us, just beside the equally tall handbrake.—
Sean Evans,
Robb Report,
29 July 2025
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Then on September 15, 2024, as Trump was golfing in West Palm Beach, Florida, a Secret Service agent, authorities said, saw Routh's rifle protruding through the golf course fence and opened fire.—
Peter Aitken
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Noun
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That's because some sellers, given higher interest rates and slower sales, might have to consider lowering their asking prices to attract buyers as inventory swells and mortgage rates hover in the 6% range.—
Shonda Novak,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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The images can also be stitched together to make a time lapse, so people can visualize how the shore changes with various swells, tides and seasons.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
24 July 2025
Verb
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This review pokes a useful hole in the breathless reception this film received, while managing to feel fond.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
24 July 2025
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The dish is almost a tease, tickling and poking you by showcasing carrots such that here a confident argument is made to herald them in as the pre-eminent salad vegetable.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Both can affect your quality of life: Atherosclerosis can cause heart attacks, strokes, poor blood flow to the legs, or bulging arteries.—
Alexandria Nyembwe,
Health,
20 July 2025
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Blount, who appeared wearing a white button-down shirt and tie, his hands shackled in front of him, his bulging gut and beige tie spilling over his beige pants, appeared impassive and refused to meet his victim’s gaze as Rothschild addressed him personally.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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