BILLOW Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

billow 1 of 2

noun

ˈbi-(ˌ)lō

Definition of billow

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

as in to protrude

to extend outward beyond a usual point the curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind

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 billow

Noun

Taking a pass Smoke billows from a fire at the BioLab facility in Conyers in September 2024. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 19 Aug. 2026 For eight brutal days, residents of Boyle Heights watched smoke billow from a burning warehouse and prayed the flames would spare their homes. — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

Last fall, when Florida welcomed Mississippi State for its mid-October homecoming game, smoke was already billowing. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 Smoke billowed over parts of downtown Durban as firefighters battled blazes. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for billow

Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow

Noun

The Ukrainian capital endured a noisy night as 21 ballistic missiles came in three waves, Zelenskyy said, smashing apartment buildings, energy facilities, a railway station and the Kyiv subway system, shopping malls and businesses.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
While the market is riding a wave of success, John doesn’t gloss over the grim outlook of the fishing and seafood industry as a whole.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of wave

Verb

Once fished to the brink of extinction globally, sand tiger sharks, that iconic aquarium shark with a jaw of protruding, jagged teeth that only a mother could love, have been increasing in the Boston Harbor over the last decade.

— Asia London Palomba, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2026
The face is a glossy black plastic with the exterior lenses slightly protruding, keeping the front from looking like a single flat surface.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of protrude

Noun

The coastal flooding in the next few days is expected to be different from earlier rounds, which were heavily influenced by powerful swells from the remnants of hurricanes Marie and Rachel.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
California did not experience any rain or wind before massive swells overtook Laguna Beach, where a portion of the PCH remains closed as sections crack and slide down toward the ocean.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of swell

Verb

Hours later, a group of rescuers in hard hats were using poles stripped from trees to poke at the huge pile of rubble.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Wilson crossed the ball over at a relaxed pace, and Leonard extended one arm of his 7-foot-3 wingspan to poke it away.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of poke

Verb

Earlier in the week, the team said the 23-year-old NFL player had been dealing with a bulging disc in his back.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
The fear of effeminization has never felt so acute, which presumably is why Matt Damon’s Odysseus needed bulging muscles, to ensure his sensitivity was mitigated by pecs of steel.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of bulge

Browse Nearby Words

bill of fare

billow

billowed

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Style

“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of billow

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

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