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
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The gulf between who Nelson really might be and how an aggregate of cultures—Colombian, American, capitalist, masculine—has molded him is the source of the play’s tragedy.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Sep. 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
China limits European equipment in telecoms infrastructure China is reportedly limiting the use of European equipment in its telecoms infrastructure, pointing to a deepening technological gulf between Beijing and the West.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The gulf between who Nelson really might be and how an aggregate of cultures—Colombian, American, capitalist, masculine—has molded him is the source of the play’s tragedy.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Sep. 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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To date, this and other restoration efforts have helped to restore oyster reefs across nearly 1,800 acres in ten different tributaries to the bay.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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That’s an enormous open bay that begins east of Adelaide and extends to Esperance on the western edge.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The record is signature Oliver, Chris, and Jano cooking up a vibrant, melodic stew — part big-tent soul revival, part joyous dive into the abyss of whatever itch each member is wanting to scratch.—
Garret K. Woodward,
Rolling Stone,
26 Oct. 2025
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The spirits of the three boys then help to defeat the Grabber and he's sent back to the abyss.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Or consider something more adventurous, like looking for the ghost of John Wesley Powell deep in the belly of the canyon at Phantom Ranch.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
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This isn’t your average hike; expect to climb, wade, swim, and scramble your way through powerful streams and natural waterfalls, all while surrounded by towering canyon walls.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Developers now look for weak spots before hackers can find them, closing gaps with regular updates and smarter monitoring.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
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Skipper answered her three highest priority areas going forward post-speech, listing the district’s achievement and opportunity gap, accessibility, and early childhood opportunities.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The new type of vortex burner can adjust the flame direction along the height of the combustion chamber.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
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Cathedral Rock is one of Sedona's most iconic hikes, with its unique rock formations and vortexes that hold special healing powers.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Construction fines at the site For Smith, the biggest concern was flooding in his backyard.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
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Theories range from the Fitzgerald striking a shoal and suffering bottom damage to flooding through the freighter's hatch covers, which filled the ship with water and sank it, to rogue waves, to structural flaws in the ship that the 1975 storm made deadly.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Chesapeake Bay—the largest estuary in the continental United States—used to be packed with oysters, more than anyone today might imagine.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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Mangroves exist in the intertidal zones of warm rivers, estuaries and bays, growing in the sediment brought to the coast by the freshwater rivers and tides, according to the Australia Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The 24 entry-level terrace rooms start at 645 square feet, with spacious balconies overlooking the garden; the 14 Upper Terrace rooms, one floor up, are the same size, but considered ocean-facing, given the elevated viewpoint.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
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Inside, the main deck lounge is fitted with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that afford sweeping views of the ocean.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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