Definition of abyssnext
as in ocean
an immeasurable depth or space looking down at the dark ocean from the ship's rail, the cruise passenger felt as though he was staring into an abyss

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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 abyss The horrid image in the news of a column of smoke rising above the city of Tehran — an abyss of darkness against the gray sky — arrests my attention. Babak Rahimi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026 But with these recent iterations of the Heat, that overriding faith has proved damaging, creating a deficient team (Miami’s 23-32 against top-10 seeds) and diminished trade assets and leaving the franchise stuck in a play-in abyss with no clear escape route. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026 Carrie makes the internal transfer on the system, moving me from my old role to my new one, ‘accidentally’ deletes the job listing from the website, and then rescues my employee profile from the digital abyss. Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026 The person who survives the abyss is the one with a dozen people standing at the top holding a rope. Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abyss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abyss
Noun
  • But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, Ally’s peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger and is thrust into a journey real-life marine creatures as the film explores themes of friendship and courage.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The Orion capsule will be returned to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for additional study following the mission — but before it was plucked from the ocean, the divers managed to capture images of the capsule and its heat shield underwater.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The Avs have not blown the doors off this team like many pundits predicted, given the chasm between the two clubs in the final NHL standings.
    Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The chasm between those figures is due to two opposing forces pulling at the market.
    Big Think, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Watching Irina Morozova use her own tooth to have a few illuminating chats with her fellow inmates via Morse code, I was powerfully reminded of the gulf between her, a woman made of adamantium, and me, a soft little house cat in human form.
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Iran’s military is also signaling a possible conventional escalation if Tehran’s demands are not met, threatening specific targets in the neighboring gulf states that are still repairing damage from the last round of attacks.
    Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The course itself was a slippery expanse of blue ice and snow, requiring glacier glasses to combat the blinding UV reflection.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The sun is setting, and its slanting golden rays make the evening feel like a vast expanse of tenderness.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Devers has the power-hitting prowess to take homer-prone Mikolas deep.
    Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Architectonics takes this murky style and plunges it to a new deep, incorporating the bronze gong and chime sounds of gamelan while burying his rhythms in dense, dubby layers of incense smoke.
    Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Abyss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abyss. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

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