bulged; bulging; bulges
1
a
: to jut out : swell
b
: to become swollen or protuberant
… a pair of arresting pale blue eyes that tend to bulge maniacally …—
Jeremy Egner
Jeremy Egner
c
: to bend outward
prevent the brick wall from bulging
2
: to be filled to overflowing
a notebook that bulged with ideas
3
archaic
: bilge
: to cause to bulge
plural bulges
1
: a protuberant or swollen part or place
a bulge in the wall
trying to get rid of the bulge around his middle
2
: sudden expansion
a population bulge
3
: advantage, upper hand
letting them get the bulge on you
4
a
: bilge sense 1
the bulge of a barrel
b
nautical
: bilge sense 2
Examples of bulge in a Sentence
Verb
His face turned white and his eyes bulged.
middle-aged people bulging at the waist
Their bags bulged with books and papers.
The squirrel's cheeks were bulging with nuts.
a notebook bulging with ideas
Noun
“What's in there?” he asked, pointing to the large bulge in my purse.
I'm exercising to get rid of this bulge around my middle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025
Subsequent scans revealed that the kitten had fluid on her lungs and showed signs of a hiatal hernia, which is when part of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Coping with Mood Swings and Anxiety But can these drugs really help shrink the hormonal belly bulge?
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bulge
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Verb
After weeks of treatment his body is still skeletal, bones bulging through his skin.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025
Subsequent scans revealed that the kitten had fluid on her lungs and showed signs of a hiatal hernia, which is when part of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
Aurora is typically seen in polar regions at around latitudes of 70 degrees north and south, but during strong geomagnetic conditions the auroral oval can bulge, with displays then seen as far as 40 degrees north and south.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Coping with Mood Swings and Anxiety But can these drugs really help shrink the hormonal belly bulge?
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bulge
Cite this Entry
“Bulge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulge. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bulge
1 of 2 verb
bulged; bulging
1
: to swell, curve outward, or stick out
bulging eyes
2
: to be filled to overflowing
a bulging notebook
bulge
2 of 2 noun
: a part that swells or sticks out
Etymology
Noun
from early French boulge, bouge "leather bag," from Latin bulga "leather bag" — related to budget
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