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
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The only temporary catharsis was blasting golf balls into the abyss.—
Jordan Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2025
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The edgy status quo will worsen as continuing natural disasters, government layoffs, and tariff wars push more working families toward the precipice where stability drops into the abyss.—
Jeff Hobbs,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The indoor-outdoor flow and natural materials will nod to the surroundings, while a central lodge with 360 canyon views will act as a communal gathering space.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Gulf would become a shipping channel, with 900-foot tankers traversing its narrow deep-water canyons that great whales and other marine species have evolved over millions of years to depend on for food, communication, mating, shelter and safe passage.—
Joel Reynolds,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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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Christians and Muslims flooded social media with tributes, remembering his vocal condemnation of violence and consistent empathy for Gaza's civilians.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
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When so many seats flood the market like that, airlines often respond by dropping prices to undercut the competition.—
Nerdwallet,
Hartford Courant,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But, to their delight, the whale was last seen on the afternoon of March 25, appearing to exit the estuary.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
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The latest details: Alarmingly high concentrations of heavy metals were found at Elkhorn Slough, California’s second-largest estuary.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Courtesy of The Edition The Miami Beach Edition is somehow both a sanctuary and a social haven: their spacious guest rooms are adorned in warm calming neutrals and pale woods, many with balconies that look over the ocean.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
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Manmade sources of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can seep into ocean waters and encourage the growth of algae blooms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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