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
Loren Elliott, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Just past his backyard fence, gray billows of smoke filled the sky above the ridgeline and flames could be seen chewing through sagebrush just a couple miles away.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Abeer Salman, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
Images taken by witnesses and shared with ABC News showed flames and smoke billowing from the crash site in Lititz, Manheim Township.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
Leveled homes, clubs and restaurants snaked along the shore, punctuated by billows of smoke from the few structures that remained.
—Loren Elliott, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Just past his backyard fence, gray billows of smoke filled the sky above the ridgeline and flames could be seen chewing through sagebrush just a couple miles away.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
Images of the aftermath show a fire burning and smoke billowing as crowds gathered on the streets outside of the hospital.
—Abeer Salman, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
Images taken by witnesses and shared with ABC News showed flames and smoke billowing from the crash site in Lititz, Manheim Township.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
Whatever the reasons for a decline in club-going, Fields' TikTok video sparked a wave of nostalgia and longing for a time when nightlife was more affordable and less likely to be recorded.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Children may expect to begin posting and instantly see a wave of followers, yet that isn't often the case.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With two foot-long horns protruding from either side of their heads, a large hump resting on their shoulders and folds of loose skin drooping from their neck, these aren’t your typical black-and-white milk carton dairy cows.—
Stephanie Lam,
The Mercury News,
23 Mar. 2025
-
On the back, the 9a breaks from Pixel tradition, replacing the width-spanning camera bar with a small module protruding from the back.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
As global demand swells— projected to nearly double to $10.6 billion by 2033— nations with sprawling orchards and industrial export capacity are scrambling to scale up.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The spot where the Katina is anchored gets some swell, so Jason has to move the boat elsewhere.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Carrick’s penalty proved costly, as neither Trocheck nor Braden Schneider could muscle Point away from poking a puck past Shesterkin’s pad.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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Hector had been poking fun at Lisa’s special interest: Taylor Swift.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Symptoms include swelling of the eyelid and skin around the eye, bulging eyes, discoloration or redness, painful or difficult eye movement, and vision troubles.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Samsung has shown off a stretchable display that’s capable of physically bulging out of a flat surface.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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