as in belly
an enlarged or bulging abdomen
Santa is depicted as a white-bearded man with a big paunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paunch
Still — the slim build, though it’s now accented with a slight paunch.
—
Mitchell S. Jackson, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
And after conferring with Haynes, Melton decided to gain 40 pounds for the role, smoothing out his sharp jawline and adding a suburban-dad paunch.
—Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023
My bullet had hit behind the shoulder and exited the paunch.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 7 Sep. 2023
He’s played by Slattery’s Mad Men compatriot Jon Hamm with a bit of a scruff, a bit of a paunch, and a touch of melancholy.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for paunch
Mitchell S. Jackson, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
And after conferring with Haynes, Melton decided to gain 40 pounds for the role, smoothing out his sharp jawline and adding a suburban-dad paunch.
—Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023
My bullet had hit behind the shoulder and exited the paunch.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 7 Sep. 2023
He’s played by Slattery’s Mad Men compatriot Jon Hamm with a bit of a scruff, a bit of a paunch, and a touch of melancholy.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for paunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paunch
Noun
-
Two buttons line the left side of the mouse, and a Power/DPI switch is tucked away on the mouse’s belly.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 July 2025
-
In the nude shot, Culpo wears her hair long and covers her breasts with her hand, placing her other hand on her belly.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Coffee is more acidic than matcha, which may be irritating to the stomach or cause heartburn in some.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
3 July 2025
-
My espresso is strong this morning, acidic… my stomach tightens, caffeine coursing in my blood.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
This digestive machinery takes up a lot of room, giving the animals a potbelly.—
Alex Fox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 June 2025
-
An equipment manager had such a potbelly that his pants kind of got lost under the belly.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paunch. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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