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
In southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, clouds billow above the towering mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range. John Daley, NPR, 22 June 2025 Smoke billows over Tehran, Iran, amid Israeli attacks on June 17, 2025. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
Verb
Dramatic footage shared on social media captured the vast wildfires raging around Marseille, a large coastal city in southern France, with smoke billowing on the horizon. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025 Footage from outside showed the building on fire and billowing smoke. Miriam Waldvogel, The Hill, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
  • No, corn sweat is not the primary cause behind the heat wave Cincinnati is experiencing this week.
    Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 24 July 2025
  • That middle-aged wave of insomnia has taught me not to take restful sleep for granted.
    Gwen Rockwood, Arkansas Online, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • In Khao Yai National Park near Kong Kaeo Waterfall, for example, researchers found a robber fly attached to the bottom of a leaf with small flower-like growths protruding from its head, thorax and abdomen, earning the new fungus the name Ophiocordyceps floriformis.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 July 2025
  • Wilson was sporting a welt on the protruding bone on his left wrist after the game, which quickly received a wrap from the team’s medical staff.
    Chris Biderman July 8, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • Before the swell of optimism, consumer sentiment had fallen to near its lowest level since a bout of inflation three years ago.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 July 2025
  • Arsenal fans online seemed to be in unison against this potential signing, but there has since been a swell of support for Madueke.
    Art de Roché, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • This review pokes a useful hole in the breathless reception this film received, while managing to feel fond.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 24 July 2025
  • The dish is almost a tease, tickling and poking you by showcasing carrots such that here a confident argument is made to herald them in as the pre-eminent salad vegetable.
    Timothy DePeugh, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • Both can affect your quality of life: Atherosclerosis can cause heart attacks, strokes, poor blood flow to the legs, or bulging arteries.
    Alexandria Nyembwe, Health, 20 July 2025
  • Blount, who appeared wearing a white button-down shirt and tie, his hands shackled in front of him, his bulging gut and beige tie spilling over his beige pants, appeared impassive and refused to meet his victim’s gaze as Rothschild addressed him personally.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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