1
as in protrusion
a part that sticks out from the general mass of something
several bulges in the old vinyl flooring in the dingy bathroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
she got the bulge on him in the race for the statehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point
the sides of the returning camper's suitcase bulged with a month's worth of dirty laundry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bulge
Byhannah Richter, science.org, 29 Jan. 2025
During extreme geomagnetic conditions, the auroral oval can bulge, with displays then seen sometimes as far as 25 degrees north and south.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Other symptoms include eyes that don’t follow movement, misaligned or bulging eyes — or swelling and inflammation, as Lily had.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bulge
Noun
HSSs generally appear in the star-forming regions of galaxies, such as the arms of spiral galaxies or the central bulge of bloblike elliptical galaxies.
—Byhannah Richter, science.org, 29 Jan. 2025
During extreme geomagnetic conditions, the auroral oval can bulge, with displays then seen sometimes as far as 25 degrees north and south.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
Infants may show different signs such as poor feeding, irritability, bulging of the soft spot on their head or lethargy.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Other symptoms include eyes that don’t follow movement, misaligned or bulging eyes — or swelling and inflammation, as Lily had.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bulge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bulge
Noun
-
The reason whooping cough can bring on such a gnarly, well, cough in the first place is because of how B. pertussis wreaks havoc: These bugs latch on to the cilia (a.k.a. tiny hairlike protrusions) on cells in your respiratory tract and ooze toxins, triggering inflammation and swelling.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Under such low pressure, the electric field causes positive ions generated from the residual gas in a tube to accelerate and bombard the cathode, creating sharp, nanometer-scale protrusions, which degrade and, ultimately, destroy it.—
Jin-Woo Han,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 June 2014
Noun
-
As industries across manufacturing, energy, and logistics embrace this transformation, the stakes for competitive advantage have never been higher.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Another avenue for lawsuits against non-generative AI use is legal protections for trade secrets; trade secrets, which provide a competitive business advantage, are not known or shared with the public and reflect efforts designed to keep information secret.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Its most significant physical feature is a segmented tread protruding from its back, and extending to the front of its face.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2025
-
In September 2024, suspect Ryan Routh, 59, was detained after Secret Service agents spotted a rifle protruding from a bush while Trump was playing on the golf course.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The pipeline bursting is the latest painful incident in a city with a long history of infrastructure problems.—
Annalise Frank,
Axios,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Of course, on this sunny Sunday about a month ago, there was no flying gravel, no bursting tires or broken axles, and certainly nobody exceeding the 30 mph speed limit.—
Eric Duvall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The Canadian company is responsible for the cameras and projection systems that allow movies to be seen on the biggest screens around the world.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Nvidia’s projection of $43 billion in sales for the current quarter — a 65% increase — was about $1 billion more than analysts projected, the Journal noted.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This is important because the solar wind ricochets around the bubble our solar system sits within, known as the heliosphere; the edges of that bubble represent the barrier between our cosmic neighborhood and the rest of the universe.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2025
-
The dogs crowded at the edge of the cliff, barking around a small piñon that grew from a crack in the rocks.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The Doctor Who star poked fun at Trump during his remarks, earning loud applause from an audience packed with Hollywood stars.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2025
-
First, Murray poked fun at how there has only been one Black anchor of the segment: Michael Che, who has had the role alongside Jost since 2014.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
American Maverick McNealy generated some Ryder Cup buzz for himself with eight birdies in his first 11 holes to take an early lead.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Our suite was tucked in the neighboring cove, within earshot of the buzzing beach clubs.—
Rachel Fletcher,
Architectural Digest,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bulge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bulge. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share