1
as in bay
a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline
we dipped our feet in the warm waters of the gulf
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2
as in abyss
an immeasurable depth or space
the gulf of understanding between the two men was too wide for them to ever get along
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
the gulf was too wide to cross, so we had to hike down into it and go through it
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4
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
a wide gulf in the defensive wall meant the city was in grave danger
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5
as in vortex
water moving rapidly in a circle with a hollow in the center
the doomed ship was sucked into the gulf and consigned to Davy Jones's locker
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as in to flood
to cover with a flood
with the administration gulfed by so many real problems, it's absurd for the president to concern himself with this nonissue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of gulf
Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
On Monday, members of the SALT Caucus endorsed increasing the deduction cap for single filers to $62,000 and joint filers to $124,000 — a sign of the massive gulf between the two sides.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 13 May 2025
Ferris Jabr, Smithsonian, 8 Jan. 2018
Read More: Gulf Spat Escalates as Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. Media Attack Qatar
Institutional and individual investors from the GCC sold 34.6 million riyals ($9.5 million) of Qatari stocks on Monday, the most in a single trading session since March 21.
—Glen Carey, Bloomberg.com, 30 May 2017
See All Example Sentences for gulf
Noun
This could create a wider ideological gulf between parties and voters.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
On Monday, members of the SALT Caucus endorsed increasing the deduction cap for single filers to $62,000 and joint filers to $124,000 — a sign of the massive gulf between the two sides.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 13 May 2025
Verb
So many gulfs separate us now: geographical, anatomical, psychological.
—Ferris Jabr, Smithsonian, 8 Jan. 2018
Read More: Gulf Spat Escalates as Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. Media Attack Qatar
Institutional and individual investors from the GCC sold 34.6 million riyals ($9.5 million) of Qatari stocks on Monday, the most in a single trading session since March 21.
—Glen Carey, Bloomberg.com, 30 May 2017
See All Example Sentences for gulf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gulf
Noun
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Coupes then get a split rear window—which harks back to Corvettes of old, while releasing hot air from the engine bay—plus new shoulder NACA intakes that directly feed the air box with cooler oxygen that even creates a ram air effect akin to mild supercharging.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
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Almost 10 months after a Texas family’s boat capsized off the coast of Homer, Alaska, a search turned up human remains at the bottom of the bay.—
Christina Shaw,
FOXNews.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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She’s headed back into the abyss and that cycle of suffering and escape and return that’s moved and frustrated viewers across the years.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
27 May 2025
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Technology was seen as both salvation and abyss, a force capable of transcending human limits, but also one that could eclipse the human altogether.—
Amir Husain,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
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For a time from the late 1880s, Redondo Beach, with its steep, deep offshore canyon, did a brisk trade as a port for lumber to build L.A.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
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If your summer vacation plans include exploring sandstone canyons, watching wildlife or gawking at geothermal wonders, this may not be the year to do so at a national park.—
Ruffin Prevost,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Noun
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In the footage from the encounter, the snake is entangled between the basket's gaps, winding in and out of the container's spaces.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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With just three weeks until music fans head to Worthy Farm, Somerset, England (June 25-29), the festival has unveiled its full lineup and stage times for 2025 – complete with gaps for secret sets.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
4 June 2025
Noun
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The city is widely known as one of the most spiritual destinations in the country, home to a number of vortex sites that are considered powerful sources of energy and healing.—
Annie Archer,
Travel + Leisure,
27 May 2025
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All that his administration was able to accomplish was done while also dealing with significant challenges, such as a polar vortex, the Henry Pratt mass shooting, the COVID-19 pandemic and more, Irvin said during the speech.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
18 May 2025
Verb
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When a storm is approaching, most evacuation orders are issued for areas where storm surge is a threat or for those near a body of water that is prone to flooding.—
Mallory Nicholls,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2025
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Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 May 2025
Noun
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From June to October, this biodiverse estuary near Titusville comes alive with bioluminescence.—
Alexandra Gillespie,
Outside Online,
28 Apr. 2025
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Climate change and variability drive increasing exposure of marine heatwaves across US estuaries.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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They’re also known to slap their tails or bodies against the ocean’s surface to communicate, NOAA said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2025
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The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest-warming ocean areas in the world, which has imperiled the sand lance population that sturgeon and other species feed on, according to Rebecca Quiñones, the conservation science program manager for MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.—
Benjamin Cassidy,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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