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Synonyms

bulge

1 American  
[buhlj] / bʌldʒ /

noun

  1. a rounded projection, bend, or protruding part; protuberance; hump.

    a bulge in a wall.

  2. any sudden increase, as of numbers, sales, or prices.

    the bulge in profits.

  3. 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.

verb (used without object)

bulged, bulging

  1. to swell or bend outward; be protuberant.

    Synonyms:
    project, protrude

  2. to be filled to capacity.

    The box bulged with cookies.

verb (used with object)

bulged, bulging

  1. to make protuberant; cause to swell.

Bulge 2 American  
[buhlj] / bʌldʒ /

noun

  1. Battle of the, the final major German counteroffensive in World War II, begun December 16, 1944, and thrusting deep into Allied territory in N and E Belgium: repulsed January 1945.

bulge 1 British  
/ bʌldʒ /

noun

  1. a swelling or an outward curve

  2. a sudden increase in number or volume, esp of population

  3. another name for baby boom

  4. the projecting part of an army's front line; salient

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to swell outwards

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Bulge 2 British  
/ bʌldʒ /

noun

  1. (in World War II) the final major German counteroffensive in 1944 when the Allied forces were pushed back into NE Belgium; the Germans were repulsed by Jan 1945

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Pronunciation

See bulk 1.

Other Word Forms

  • bulginess noun
  • bulging adjective
  • bulgingly adverb
  • bulgy adjective
  • outbulge verb

Etymology

Origin of bulge

1200–50; Middle English: bag, hump < Old French < Latin bulga bag < Celtic; compare Irish bolg bag

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

It already displays two prominent, sweeping arms that encircle a bright central bulge, stretching across about 30,000 light-years.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2025

These tides typically occur during a new or full moon, causing the oceans to bulge a bit more than usual.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

There is an air of inevitability around Harry Kane this season, as he breaks records and sees nets bulge for Bayern Munich.

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2025

She noticed a slight bulge under his jacket, but she wasn’t about to ask what it was.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

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.