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
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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Soon to open is Siro Social, a rooftop terrace offering tapas, natural wine, and cocktails (both alcoholic and non) with panoramic views of the bay and surrounding mountains.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2025
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Leaving from the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel’s dock several times a day, the boat will cruise past the Naval Academy before venturing into the bay.—
Charles Babington,
New York Times,
21 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
-
Antisemitism, hatred and terrorism must be stopped, lest our civilization fall into the abyss.—
Diane Gensler,
Baltimore Sun,
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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Room to grow is great, but if the gap is too big, you might be frustrated to not get anywhere close to 240 frames per second (fps) at 4K.—
Brad Bourque,
Wired News,
23 May 2025
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In addition to his recent deep dive into the 2023 porch footage, Torre has also been behind several bombshells dropped about Hudson and Belichick, who have a 49-year age gap.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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The bird is creating vortices in the water with almost every move.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
16 May 2025
-
The quick retraction produces strong tornado-like vortices that stir and upwell particulate sediments, aiding the stomp dance.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 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 upper level of the ocean is where microscopic organisms and different types of plankton live.—
Nick Butler,
FOXNews.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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