BULGED Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

bulged

verb

past tense of bulge

as in protruded

to extend outward beyond a usual point the sides of the returning camper's suitcase bulged with a month's worth of dirty laundry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in burst

to be copiously supplied this guidebook to San Francisco positively bulges with useful information

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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 bulged My husband Grant Wahl's bulged and burst, at an age when this disease usually means something inherited. — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026 That ball found the head of Jude Bellingham, whose diving header bulged the net and opened the scoring. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 Her stomach bulged beneath her I ❤ FLORIDA boatneck and her face was round and waxy-pale. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026 Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026 Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells. — Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026 The surrounding metropolitan area has similarly bulged. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026 Even pre-Covid, his pockets bulged with hand sanitizer. — Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bulged

Verb

In several looks, the hips protruded impressively outward, but the silhouette appeared more subtle and somewhat suitable for everyday wear in the label’s delicate camisole tops.

— Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
The skinny braids wrapped the bottom of the bun, while the thicker braids dressed the top, forming a cylinder shape that protruded from the crown of her head.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 June 2026

Definition of protruded

Verb

Chinese authorities also warned that a barrier lake, which formed at the confluence of the Tsogyal and the Purupqiangzangbu rivers, is overflowing and may burst.

— Niranjan Shrestha, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Sip local wines like Norton or Vignoles, hop around downtown, or wander through orchards bursting with ripe apples while leaves crunch underfoot.

— Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of burst

Verb

Better together Industry analysts, experts and insiders have consistently poked holes in the states' argument that the combination of TV networks would create antitrust issues.

— Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
So too were the buildings, including my hotel, which poked through the seven-foot-high snowbanks, looking like an ancient shipwreck covered in shifting sand.

— Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

Sitting with her children in a carriage during the parade and later appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the princess wore nodded to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's 1987 Easter outfit in a pale blue ensemble and wide-brimmed hat by Catherine Walker.

— Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 June 2026
Conversations between the two often brimmed with lessons on life, which Honda carries close to heart.

— Julius Miller Follow, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Definition of brimmed

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bulge

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“Bulged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bulged. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bulged

verb

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