1
a
: magnitude
impressed by the sheer bulk of her accomplishment
b
biology
: material that forms a mass in the intestine
2
3
: the main or greater part
spent the bulk of his time in the office
the bulk of the population
bulked; bulking; bulks
1
: to cause to swell or bulge : stuff
bulk out a report with lots of graphs and charts
2
: to gather into a mass or aggregate
2
: to appear as a factor : loom
a consideration that bulks large in everyone's thinking
1
: being in large quantities or not divided into separate units : being in bulk
bulk shipments of food
bulk mailings
2
: of or relating to materials in bulk
bulk prices
Synonyms
Examples of bulk in a Sentence
Noun
We spent the bulk of the summer at the beach.
Farming makes up the bulk of the country's economy.
The great bulk of these people are extremely poor.
Despite his bulk, he's a very fast runner.
Verb
she bulked up her hair with one hand as she reached for the shears with the other
Adjective
They sent bulk shipments of food to the country.
Recent Examples on the Web
Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 26 June 2024
In the past, firework stores in Pahrump, which make up the town’s second-largest revenue generator, according to TNT representative Dennis Revell, have provided cause for alarm because of mass amounts of fireworks being bought in bulk and transported to California.
—Elise Fisher, Sacramento Bee, 25 June 2024
Suzie Finkel Ms, Rd, Cdn, Health, 26 May 2024
The two streaming services, Max/Discovery+ (95 million global subscribers) and Paramount+ (63 million subs), are seen as subscale compared to the offerings from Netflix (247 million subscribers) or Disney+ (105 million core subs), with a merger helping to bulk them up.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
At the same time, the soaring popularity of vapes has created heavy demand for bulk oils, which are made from lower-quality cannabis, often grown illegally.
—Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bulk 
Noun
Bees produce honey in bulk, and their stockpile is stored in the honeycombs.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 26 June 2024
In the past, firework stores in Pahrump, which make up the town’s second-largest revenue generator, according to TNT representative Dennis Revell, have provided cause for alarm because of mass amounts of fireworks being bought in bulk and transported to California.
—Elise Fisher, Sacramento Bee, 25 June 2024
Verb
Laxatives such as magnesium may be used for constipation, while bulking fiber agents such as psyllium or calcium polycarbophil can reduce incontinence/urgency.
—Suzie Finkel Ms, Rd, Cdn, Health, 26 May 2024
The two streaming services, Max/Discovery+ (95 million global subscribers) and Paramount+ (63 million subs), are seen as subscale compared to the offerings from Netflix (247 million subscribers) or Disney+ (105 million core subs), with a merger helping to bulk them up.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
Adjective
Arizona Lithium expects to commence a bulk sample in July.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
At the same time, the soaring popularity of vapes has created heavy demand for bulk oils, which are made from lower-quality cannabis, often grown illegally.
—Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bulk
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bulk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bulk
Cite this Entry
“Bulk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulk. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bulk
1 of 3 noun1
: greatness of size or mass : volume
2
: a large body or mass
3
: the main or greater part
did the bulk of the work
4
bulk
2 of 3 verb1
: to cause to swell or bulge
2
: to appear as a consideration
an issue that bulks large in her mind
bulk
3 of 3 adjective
: being in bulk
bulk foods
Medical Definition
bulk
noun
: material (as indigestible fibrous residues of food) that forms a mass in the intestine
especially
: fiber sense 2
Legal Definition
bulk
1 of 2 noun
: a large mass
bulk
2 of 2 adjective1
: being in bulk
bulk shipment of wheat
bulk foods
2
: of or relating to materials in bulk
bulk buyer
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