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
Smoke billows as fire burns while powerful winds fueling devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area force people to evacuate, at the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, U.S. January 8, 2025. Jesse Pound, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2025 But now and then, here and there, one of the pipes springs a leak and the escaping steam billows up through the nearest manhole. Patrick McGeehan, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Verb
Just as things became official, the Charlotte Hornets were working up a lather, running through team drills not far from where smoke billowed into the Southern California sky. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Jan. 2025 Known for notorious traffic, several thoroughfares in Los Angeles slowed to a standstill as large plumes of smoke from the roaring blazes billowed into the sky. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for billow 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
  • This can lead to a growing wave of kind acts in the workplace, community or elsewhere.
    Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Their disagreement led to a wave of responses about what makes a meal qualify for the term.
    John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • What stands out in photos taken in the arena is that the cameras really protrude, perhaps emphasized by the phone’s thin profile.
    David Phelan, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Here are some of the latest discoveries: Family spots wood sticking out of sand dune — and finds historic item in New Zealand In New Zealand, a family stumbled upon a piece of wood protruding from a sand dune, which turned out to be a historic artifact.
    Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • For Baja surf, November to February promises powerful swells, while more balanced waves from March to May set it up nicely for beginners and intermediate surfers.
    Meagan Drillinger, AFAR Media, 22 Jan. 2025
  • The swell is originating from the northwest Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Japan.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Timothée Chalamet playfully poked fun at himself during his Saturday Night Live monologue on Jan. 25.
    Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2025
  • What to Expect Laser treatments are relatively quick, outpatient procedures that cause minimal pain; some people feel poking or burning sensations.
    Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Over the last three games alone, the free-throw disparity has bulged to 42 attempts and 33 makes.
    Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Extensive records of the restoration, filling two bulging binders, are included in the auction lot, along with all those concours trophies, the original driver’s manuals, and an original Miura tool kit.
    Howard Walker, Robb Report, 6 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near billow

Cite this Entry

“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.

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