a rounded projection, bend, or protruding part; protuberance; hump.
a bulge in a wall.
any sudden increase, as of numbers, sales, or prices.
the bulge in profits.
a rising in small waves on the surface of a body of water, caused by the action of a fish or fishes in pursuit of food underwater.
a swelling or an outward curve
a sudden increase in number or volume, esp of population
another name for baby boom
the projecting part of an army's front line; salient
See bulk 1.
1200–50; Middle English: bag, hump < Old French < Latin bulga bag < Celtic; compare Irish bolg bag
To bulge is to stick out, making a bump called a bulge. A leak in the roof might make your ceiling bulge, and a giant feast could make a bulge over your waistband. The word bulge comes from the Old French word bouge for "wallet.” A full wallet makes a bulge in a guy’s back pocket. Bodybuilders' muscles bulge out of their bodies. A pimple is a tiny bulge on your skin. For the record, Battle of the Bulge isn’t a diet plan. It was a battle in World War II. Americans called it the Battle of the Bulge because of the way the Allied front line bulged inward.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The top of the storage tank began to bulge, and fumes released for approximately 5 minutes until employees activated the manual fire suppression system.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Its galactic bulge survey alone will observe approximately 100 million stars while exploring regions of the Milky Way that remain largely uncharted.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
He was so effective guarding Millogo despite having three fouls that Notre Dame turned a five-point halftime lead into a 20-point bulge through three quarters en route to a 71-48 victory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026
After two days of underwhelming big bank earnings, Wall Street’s bulge bracket stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
Eight asbestos ceiling tiles had started to bulge down, which meant that either Sycorax and Caliban were getting fatter or the ceiling was getting weaker.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
The team plans to use Roman's future Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey, which will repeatedly observe millions of stars in enormous sections of the sky.
From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026
Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2025
She was in Europe with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2024
Pelosi was traveling with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2024
It’s bad enough they call me Battle of the Bulge behind my back.
From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes
The Federal Communications Commission began its own inquiry in February; its file of public comments bulges with criticism of the sports-migration trend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The downdrafts can become so severe that air is forced beneath the cloud, creating large bulges of air and water droplets.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2025
The waves produced visible bulges in the blood vessels, which will aid in mixing the fluid around the brain's cells.
From Science Daily ● May 29, 2024
The dance represents this with a long white sheet that bulges as if with bodies.
From New York Times ● Apr. 24, 2024
He looks at me and bulges his eyes out, chews fast, and swallows.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Rain saturated soil, bulged rivers and eroded hillsides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025
McConnell chafed at this and his beady little eyes bulged with contempt as he had to choke down the filth Trump spewed.
From Salon ● Feb. 29, 2024
Rep. Brad Sherman’s eyes bulged when he was told of his Democratic colleague’s opposition to these earmarks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2023
The garage’s rear wall partially collapsed, and the front facade bulged.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2023
She watched how the flesh under the mayor’s chin bulged in and out as he spoke, and then she turned her eyes from this unpleasant sight and looked carefully around the room.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
What was it about O’Rourke’s bulging bookshelves that got Kilmeade so shirty?
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Junior quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, in his third year as a St. John Bosco starter, has new bulging biceps from his many hours in the weight room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
The consumer-price index, due out on Tuesday, is forecast to rise a sharp 0.6% in April after a bulging 0.9% increase in March.
From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026
Facing construction hurdles and bulging budgets, Saudi Arabia has been paring back its megaprojects since last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
We joked about her handbag, which we worried was an inducement for muggers, since it was big and bulging.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
