as in oceans
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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Recent Examples of abysses
Jean-Pierre is an artifact of an age that looks recent on paper but feels prehistoric in practice—the age of pantsuits, the word ’empowerment,’ the musical Hamilton, the cheap therapeutic entreaties to ‘work on yourself’ and ‘lean in’ to various corporate abysses.
—
Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
On the other side of the country, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, a longtime reader favorite, is a warm alternative to sterile airport abysses.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2024
Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
On the other side of the country, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, a longtime reader favorite, is a warm alternative to sterile airport abysses.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abysses
Noun
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One simple way to understand this is that many studies assume sea levels without waves or currents, when the reality at the water’s edge is of oceans constantly roiled by wind, tides, currents, changing temperatures and things like El Niño, Minderhoud and Seeger told The Associated Press.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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Calculating the global oceans Globally, sea levels have already risen 8 to 9 inches since 1880.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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While there has been a good amount of movement, there are still some wide chasms on a few key issues, sources caution.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
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Gaping construction holes may be eyesores for visitors, but to those of us who live and work in Central Indiana these chasms represent our future — projects that will infuse Indianapolis with new life.—
Shari Rudavsky,
IndyStar,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As the train moves through the Hudson Valley and up toward the Canadian border, riverfront towns give way to wide expanses of water and distant mountain peaks.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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His hymn to Aten is an exercise in majesty, an ode not just to the sun but to the expanses in which our solar system circulates.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abysses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abysses. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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