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
One of Roman's primary surveys will look far beyond that range, examining stars through the Milky Way's densely packed central bulge and extending all the way to the far side of the galaxy.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
The tank heated up in recent days and started to bulge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
Uganda's youth bulge is both its greatest asset and its most volatile risk.
From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026
His cheeks bulge as though he has stuffed them with whole, unripe guavas.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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
The trip to Luxembourg is to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 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
He was wounded, not badly, in the waning days of the Battle of the Bulge.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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
Still, a buildup bulges outside of the golf course, as security holds fans at the entrance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025
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 dance represents this with a long white sheet that bulges as if with bodies.
From New York Times ● Apr. 24, 2024
They couldn’t see any of the cracks or bulges that Dr. Morales had told them about.
From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis
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
The area had a prewar population of around 280,000, a figure that has bulged to over 1 million in recent days, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 4, 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 muscles of his arms and shoulders bulged against a tight black shirt as he stood with hands clasped in front of him, staring at the floor.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
What was it about O’Rourke’s bulging bookshelves that got Kilmeade so shirty?
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Next to her is a bulging Balenciaga mini bag, and a pair of oversized sunglasses on her head are perched atop a mop of jet black curls.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 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
Across the court’s ideological spectrum, there are signs of disagreement about how the court is handling its bulging docket of emergency appeals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025
With one eye on the sky, I rested under a croquet hoop to catch my breath and rest my bulging bag.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
