as in to close
to come near or nearer
belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 belly up
Hooters filed for bankruptcy this week, the latest casual dining chain to go belly up.
—
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
The playful pooch was filmed sprawled out on the ground with its belly up right outside a store.
has garnered more than 4.2 million views and 250,000 likes to date, sparking laughter and warm reactions in the comments section.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
When a property and casualty insurer does go belly up, there are safety nets for policyholders in the form of state guaranty associations, which are established by state law but privately funded by the insurance industry.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
The 7-second clip shows the tiny puppy sprawled out with its belly up, lying limply across its owner's chest and neck, as if drained from a grueling day of activity.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
The enterprise went belly up and created a rift with some family members who were part of the venture.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Yet, even with Philadelphia squaring off against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the patrons of Big Charlie’s still belly up to the bar in the belly of the beast.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
There’s certainly a decent stack of cautionary tales, examples of where a manager returning to the site of former glory goes belly up.
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Still others have gone belly up and find themselves in receivership with more coming.
—Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
The playful pooch was filmed sprawled out on the ground with its belly up right outside a store.
has garnered more than 4.2 million views and 250,000 likes to date, sparking laughter and warm reactions in the comments section.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
When a property and casualty insurer does go belly up, there are safety nets for policyholders in the form of state guaranty associations, which are established by state law but privately funded by the insurance industry.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
The 7-second clip shows the tiny puppy sprawled out with its belly up, lying limply across its owner's chest and neck, as if drained from a grueling day of activity.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
The enterprise went belly up and created a rift with some family members who were part of the venture.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Yet, even with Philadelphia squaring off against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the patrons of Big Charlie’s still belly up to the bar in the belly of the beast.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
There’s certainly a decent stack of cautionary tales, examples of where a manager returning to the site of former glory goes belly up.
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Still others have gone belly up and find themselves in receivership with more coming.
—Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly up
Verb
-
Markets in Shanghai, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia were closed for holidays, limiting the scope of Friday’s sell-offs in Asia.—
JIANG JUNZHE,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The traffic alert was issued Friday at 9:27 a.m., and the last update regarding this incident was released on Friday at 9:48 a.m. Kansas City: I-70 closed The road is closed from 11th Street/Exit 2 to I-35/US-40/US-71/US-24/Exit 2 in Kansas City.—
Kansas City Star Bot,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
An initial investigation showed the pickup truck and bicyclist were westbound on CR 600 N approaching CR 450 E along the Washington Township/Jackson Township line.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Will approach shots to the same places have the same results?—
Bob Spear,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This shoulder to the chest of a Moscow defenceman off an offensive zone draw on the power play ensured SKA would have possession, and seemed to leave that defenceman a bit worse for wear.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Alex lands an interview and draws on her coursework, team leadership, internships, business experience and lab applications to demonstrate her preparedness for the position’s demands, as well as a deep understanding of global markets and expertise in other key competencies gained at Questrom.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Both teams are nearing the point when the game will be turned over to the bullpens.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
13 Apr. 2025
-
That’s because it’s considered a red giant star, a bloated star nearing the end of its life.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Lastly, future studies can come up with better methods to identify what these fireballs are made of using the colors of the meteors.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The issue comes up in group chats, on web forums, and even, occasionally, in couples-therapy sessions that the famed psychologist Julie Gottman facilitates.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belly up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20up. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share