bellying up

verb

present participle of belly up
as in coming up
to come near or nearer belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 bellying up Once called ''the funniest woman on TV,'' Catherine O'Hara spends much of her time these days bellying up against a snooker table at the Squeeze Club, a Toronto juice bar and pool hall. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026 Across the river, Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn brings a stylish, approachable scene for bellying up and indulging in sexy French cuisine. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026 Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellying up
  1. coming up
  2. drawing on
  3. closing in
  4. approaching
  5. closing
  6. coming
Verb
  • But the show already had a natural stopping point coming up that would be appropriate, storytelling-wise.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • About 20 feet behind Belfie's fence, a CBS News Philadelphia drone captured where the water is coming up from the ground.
    — Liz Crawford, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of coming up
Verb
  • Meanwhile, over in Asia, a top McKinsey executive laid out what sets Asia's owner-CEOs apart, drawing on the firm's research that helps filter out the key factors that determine successful leadership.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, the self-regulating organization takes the day-to-day lead in devising standards, conducting oversight, enforcing rules, and punishing bad actors, drawing on its business members’ unique knowledge and real-world expertise.
    — William R. Gruver, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of drawing on
Verb
  • National Hurricane Center specialist Elizabeth Adams said Monday that Nolo was closing in on Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a marine conservation area northwest of the islands.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The 50-day is at $616 and the 200-day at $626, with the 50-day turning higher and closing in on a cross above the longer average for the first time since the winter.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of closing in
Verb
  • The case has been a political flashpoint in Nigeria for years, flaring up ahead of the 2023 election that brought Tinubu to office and again now with the 2027 vote fast approaching.
    — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • With multiple CMEs approaching Earth in quick succession, there's still considerable uncertainty over how geomagnetic conditions will develop.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of approaching
Verb
  • Now that the eleventh-hour challenge was denied, Paramount CEO David Ellison can move forward with closing the merger as planned.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In September, California Department of Education spokesperson Scott Roark said closing Highlands in Twin Rivers Unified would not eliminate its debts, including what is owed to the state.
    — Chaewon Chung Updated October 5, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of closing
Verb
  • The island has hosted a Ground Self-Defense Force garrison since 2016, while Tokyo has plans to add additional air-defense capabilities in the coming years.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The man’s identity was expected to be released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office in the coming days.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of coming

Browse Nearby Words

bellying
bellying up
belly-land
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Cite this Entry

“Bellying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying%20up. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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