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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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
Andrea Mitchell, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
During the tanker war of the ’80s, Iran and Iraq attacked 450 ships in the Persian gulf, and their most devastating weapon was the mine.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
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
One of the senior gulf officials said the Houthis were on standby, ready to act.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
During the tanker war of the ’80s, Iran and Iraq attacked 450 ships in the Persian gulf, and their most devastating weapon was the mine.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
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
-
There is vehicle access via the courtyard with 10 disabled bays.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Unit 1501 at Portofino Tower, with its lush wraparound bay views.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The person who survives the abyss is the one with a dozen people standing at the top holding a rope.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The financial institution's weekly airline industry update offers a peek into the abyss.—
ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Exploring cities like Rome, Madrid, and Athens now means walking through shaded canyons and subterranean malls that feel like airport terminals.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Wind prone canyons along US-395 may see gusts up to 80 mph.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The gender gap narrowed slightly in recent years but widened again in 2025, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Another admitted to brushing crumbs into the gap between the stove and counter as a child—only to be caught and made to pull the appliance out and deep-clean the entire area.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Single-digit cold invades North Around the same time as the heat starts blasting Phoenix, the polar vortex — a system that usually keeps frigid air penned up near the North Pole — is forecast to send its chill deep into the Midwest and East, even bordering some of the Southeast, Maue said.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Normally bomb cyclones get their energy from warm ocean waters, but this one will draw power from the polar vortex.—
Seth Borenstein,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The city has since explored smaller buyouts in places that flood repeatedly, including the Jewel Streets neighborhood, also known as the Hole, at the Brooklyn-Queens border.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Philadelphia adjusted at the break, pushing fullbacks higher and flooding the midfield, and Charlotte had no response.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the estuary, which had been silting up since the 11th century, had different ideas.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
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The team tethered the crustaceans to posts at varying times of the year and at varying depths of Maryland’s Rhode River, a tidal estuary in Chesapeake Bay.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These deep-ocean predators swim through near-freezing Arctic waters at a pace that barely registers.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
China is leading a race to collect metal-rich nodules from the ocean floor, resources seen as key to clean energy.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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