billow 1 of 2

as in wave
a moving ridge on the surface of water the great billows created by the ocean storm threatened to swamp the fishing boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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billow

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of billow
Noun
Rapace’s kit — with that long thoroughbred stride somehow made greater by the black grosgrain stripes, the velocity of it all filling that billow in the cape — cut a blistering path down the Bugonia carpet. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Tokyo — Large clouds of smoke billow from Japan’s most famous mountain. Chris Lau, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
It’s presented in a treasure chest with smoke protruding as the chest opens, slowly displaying the cocktail itself as the smoke billows into the patron’s face, preparing their nostrils for the smokey aroma ahead. Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 Get too close to the smoke billowing out of the preseason hype machine, and you might get pelted by a gear or screw spewing from the engine. David Ubben, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
  • Utting believes a glut is on its way starting in 2030 and lasting until 2035 or so—right when VG is largely finished ramping up its incredible wave of growth.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Its millimeter wave radar detects and tracks targets through weather.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This lore drop about the legendary warrior-chief is a withering tease for Kōnane, a once-ubiquitous pastime that was carved into stone slabs across the islands, some of which still protrude from the ground.
    Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
  • In the article, Sanderson reported the location of the ship, so that other sailors could steer clear of the protruding masts.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Confidence is also increasing in coastal impacts from a long-period swell from Humberto, the weather service said.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Coraline’s poppy swells and power ballads.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Schneemann poked a single into right field to bring home both Hedges and Kwan.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
  • While some are panicking about the potential event, others are poking fun at the prediction.
    Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • RAKxa Jai, meanwhile, focuses on holistic wellness, with teams of staff offering a bulging book of treatments, including crystal healing, traditional Ayurvedic treatments and Marma Healing massage.
    Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The Saetbyol-4, which shares the Global Hawk's bulging fuselage design, is a reconnaissance aircraft while the Saetbyol-9, like the Reaper, is an attack drone.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.

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