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
Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
The day finished out around 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET) with billows of black smoke rising above the Vatican, indicating that the new head of the catholic church had not yet been chosen.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 May 2025
Jade Walker, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
The clinic posted a photo of the blast’s aftermath that showed the building’s roof caved in, debris flowing into the streets and smoke billowing from inside.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
New pope elected, white smoke billows from Vatican chimney
12:39 PM EDT
Was this the shortest conclave to elect a Pope?
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
The day finished out around 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET) with billows of black smoke rising above the Vatican, indicating that the new head of the catholic church had not yet been chosen.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 May 2025
Verb
Multiple videos showed flames and smoke billowing from buildings across Tehran.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
The clinic posted a photo of the blast’s aftermath that showed the building’s roof caved in, debris flowing into the streets and smoke billowing from inside.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
Ever since November, the Reyes family has lived here, beneath tarpaulin and nipa palm, wedged between crashing waves and a coastal highway in northeastern Luzon.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
5 June 2025
-
The legislation was still being negotiated hours before it was brought to the floor for a House vote, with Johnson eventually relenting to the $40,000 figure after a wave of last-minute bartering.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
The animals have small eyes that slightly protrude from their heads, which are smooth and flat, according to the study.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
-
Books fly off the shelves, a protruding nail vanishes and then reappears, a Ouija board spells an incomplete message, and there’s definitely something on the third floor.—
Gabino Iglesias,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
In 2019, a year after swells of protests swept through universities in Chile, a group of women, many of them blindfolded, took over the streets of Valparaiso, a coastal city in the country, to dance and sing a song that would go on to become an anthem.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
25 May 2025
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The day passes uneventfully — though the swell makes waters choppy, guests are still able to enjoy the water toys.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That victory put O’Malley back in the rankings. O’Malley’s next bout ended in a no contest, when an eye poke in the second round left Pedro Munhoz unable to continue.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev poked fun at the explosive war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, offering to mediate peace between the two political allies.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Photos posted online showed the snake arrived at a Virginia animal hospital with a bulging body.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
-
This week, they’re dominated by the moon, which enters its bulging gibbous phase in advance of next week’s full strawberry moon.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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