gasp 1 of 2

verb

ˈgasp How to pronounce gasp (audio)
Definition of gaspnext
as in to pant
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty the runner was audibly gasping by the end of the marathon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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gasp

2 of 2

noun

as in sigh

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gasp
Verb
Warmer water naturally carries less oxygen, which prompts corals to move their cilia faster and faster, as if gasping for breath. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 The diver was gasping for air, appeared disoriented and didn’t understand what had happened, witnesses told deputies. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
The future of college athletics may hinge on a last gasp of bipartisan collaboration in the Senate in the dog days of summer. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 20 July 2026 Coming after the equally questionable previous entry, however, this feels like a last gasp. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gasp
  1. pant
  2. sigh
  3. heave
  4. whisper
  5. hyperventilate
  6. murmur
  7. gurgle
  8. hiss
Verb
  • The delivery person added that none of the canines appeared to have access to food or sufficient water, and that all the animals were panting.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Dogs primarily rely on panting, while cats also groom themselves to help regulate body temperature.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of pant
Noun
  • When plans for an LAX people mover were announced in 2018, Angelenos released a collective sigh of relief.
    — Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Those with Emilio Pagán on their rosters breathed a collective sigh of relief.
    — Greg Jewett, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sigh
Verb
  • In Aleppo, in the suburbs of Damascus, across Syria, people and neighborhoods heaved under the trauma of the last 14 years.
    — Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Eddie Williams was taking a merciless pounding against her planking as the sodden wreck heaved and rolled.
    — JAMES D. OXLEY, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of heave
Noun
  • Moves for Anan Khalaili and Zavier Gozo are being finalised, and with both able to play right wing-back, there are whispers Daniel Munoz may be sold.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That is, the ability to provide the benefits of modern speech interfaces without the need for users to speak audibly, even at a whisper.
    — Greg Uyeno, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of whisper
Verb
  • News that Nikki Finke had left behind a memoir — and that her estate was seeking a publisher — had half of Hollywood hyperventilating into their Erewhon shopping bags last week.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Often, a swimmer takes a deep breath and hyperventilates before going under the water, causing a decrease of carbon dioxide in their body.
    — Chip Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of hyperventilate
Noun
  • Even in hardboiled Hadestown, that would probably get a murmur of assent.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 25 July 2026
  • For weeks, there have been murmurs in DC about a coming White House move to address the inevitability of powerful, open-source Chinese AI models being used by people and businesses across the globe.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of murmur
Noun
  • There are mud pools from Yellowstone National Park that have a squeamish gurgle, and hearing them amid a crackling bonfire feels unexpectedly harmonious, even plausible.
    — Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Her stomach made an audible gurgle.
    — Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Definition of gurgle
Noun
  • He was shown a yellow card for excessive celebration, which drew loud boos and hisses from the fans.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Across 17 tracks, guitar riffs curdle into sheets of distortion, melodies dissolve into electronic hiss, and grooves are chronically interrupted by fresh rhythmic detours.
    — Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiss

Browse Nearby Words

gasoliers
gasp
gasped
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Cite this Entry

“Gasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gasp. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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