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
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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
Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
The move to suspend aid widens the gulf between the stance adopted by the Trump administration and the U.S.'s major European allies, many of which pledged fresh support for Ukraine in recent days.
—Ellie Cook, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 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
United’s domestic prize money has lagged, but the real gulf has come abroad.
—Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
The move to suspend aid widens the gulf between the stance adopted by the Trump administration and the U.S.'s major European allies, many of which pledged fresh support for Ukraine in recent days.
—Ellie Cook, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 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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Fifteen years after her husband’s drowning in the nearby bay, Tressilian’s days are spent in a cranky routine: grumbling over the obscene resort stationed on the opposite bluff, reading London’s gossip columns, and summoning the household help with the insistent ringing of a bedroom call bell.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
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Some cooks use bay leaves in the pantry to deter moths, weevils, and other pests.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Then the other shoe drops, and the rest of Warfare is a head-first dive into the abyss as bullets rain, blood flows, and any respite feels increasingly out of reach.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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As was common all over the Florida Gulf Coast, the road nearby was lined with a canyon of refrigerators and cabinets and other household items ruined by the flood waters and left out by the curb for the city to haul away.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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In January, thousands of portraits still at Adelaide were breathtakingly close to the Palisades Fire, which burned nearly all the homes on the other side of the canyon.—
Michael Slenske,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The median home price is a benchmark for how much a U.S. home costs, which is largely driven by the gap between housing supply and homebuyer demand.—
Sylvan Lane,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
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Over time, the gap between Clifford Davis and the rest of Fort Worth ISD has widened today, where less than 1 in every 10 students is reading and doing math on grade level.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Dust devils, more officially known as convective vortices, are common features on the surface of Mars that have been regularly observed for decades.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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Many people feel inspired, recharged, or uplifted after visiting a vortex.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While fans flooded his comments with well-wishes, the rapper’s message was clear: stay vigilant, because health is nothing to play with.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Salvage and cleanup work will continue this weekend as volunteers from nearby communities flood Moundville for a cleanup day to help the Botts and others impacted by the tornado.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Day visitors and overnight guests can utilize a variety of rental options to explore the quiet wetlands of the Colorado River estuary.—
Mariah Tyler,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 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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Zoom in: That would prove a lifeline for green startups trying to sell carbon credits by planting trees, dumping minerals in the ocean, and developing expensive infrastructure, such as direct air capture plants.—
Alan Neuhauser,
Axios,
9 Apr. 2025
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Nestled at the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula where two oceans meet and desert mountains serve as a backdrop for pristine waters, Los Cabos, Mexico is one of the fastest growing vacation hotspots in the world.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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