as in plump
having an excess of body fat
a roly-poly baby who grew into a slender child
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Recent Examples of roly-poly
Stability: Does the foot plant feel secure, or do my ankles feel roly-poly?
—
Maggie Slepian, Outside, 26 Jan. 2026
The lounge’s furniture had been softened with curvy sofas and roly-poly club chairs, but that sensation of floating above the city felt familiar.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Every few weeks a letter or phone call requesting a conference with Zilpha and Jaron came from Mr. Darwin, the school resource manager, a roly-poly man with a lovely voice.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
But like a roly-poly, the gömböc is round in places.
—Elise Cutts, Wired News, 10 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what they’re called, most people know exactly what an armadillo looks like, with its roly-poly armored form and weird shuffling walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Imagine instead your mother’s delight in you as a baby, in all your sweet-smelling, roly-poly nudeness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
People were bamboozled by the roly-poly big-eyed cuteness — such clips have drawn in millions of viewers.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
Imagine a pale roly-poly the size of a muskrat wandering the seafloor.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Maggie Slepian, Outside, 26 Jan. 2026
The lounge’s furniture had been softened with curvy sofas and roly-poly club chairs, but that sensation of floating above the city felt familiar.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Every few weeks a letter or phone call requesting a conference with Zilpha and Jaron came from Mr. Darwin, the school resource manager, a roly-poly man with a lovely voice.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
But like a roly-poly, the gömböc is round in places.
—Elise Cutts, Wired News, 10 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what they’re called, most people know exactly what an armadillo looks like, with its roly-poly armored form and weird shuffling walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Imagine instead your mother’s delight in you as a baby, in all your sweet-smelling, roly-poly nudeness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
People were bamboozled by the roly-poly big-eyed cuteness — such clips have drawn in millions of viewers.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
Imagine a pale roly-poly the size of a muskrat wandering the seafloor.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roly-poly
Adjective
-
From having the viscous juices of decomposed leaves that kept her plump leak through a tear in her side, as happened to a few of her siblings.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Moustache joined my plump tortoiseshell Toffee, the progeny of frisky barn cats, an elderly rabbit rescued from neglect, and my best friend Bacon, a good dog adopted from Lifeline Puppy Rescue years before.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The healthy fats in the avocado also help your body better absorb the fat-soluble vitamin A and antioxidants present in the mango, maximizing the nutritional impact of every bite.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
2 Apr. 2026
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Sardines are naturally oily and have a higher fat content, which favors omega-3 delivery, while still providing strong protein.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
New data from Hopper, the travel website that tracks airfares, showed the current average round-trip flight out of Phoenix is $352.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Temporary morning puffiness, swelling after a salty meal or a rounder face with no other symptoms are probably not cause for concern.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roly-poly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roly-poly. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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