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

Relevance

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 from Syrian naval ships destroyed in an overnight Israeli attack on the port city of Latakia on Tuesday. Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024 Smoke billows during Israeli shelling on the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 15 Oct. 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
  • Fans desperate to see the game – and other big names, including Mike Tyson and LL Cool J – attempted to break through double doors that opened inward as opposed to swinging outward, and a massive crowd swell rushed toward the entrance.
    Tracy Wright, Fox News, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Musk, who has become a key adviser to Trump, saw the largest swell of his net worth, which grew almost $21 billion in the day after the election.
    Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 6 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 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on billow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!