gambol 1 of 2

noun

Definition of gambolnext
as in spree
a time or instance of carefree fun she and her old college roommate headed off for one final European gambol before returning to the States to start their separate careers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

gambol

2 of 2

verb

ˈgam-bəl How to pronounce gambol (audio)
as in to cavort
to play and run about happily dog owners chat while their pooches gambol on the park's great lawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 gambol
Noun
In my backyard, rabbits gambol, squirrels leap and the birds sing with a new exuberance now that there’s no traffic noise from the nearby highway. — Claire Messud, WSJ, 30 Apr. 2020 Designed by Amanda Villalobos, the prehistoric arthropods in this show gambol about with googly eyes and flicking antennas and tails. — Laurel Graeber, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2020
Verb
His nephew said that, for decades, his grandparents had kept alive a faint hope that maybe their hero son had just been captured and would one day come gamboling through the front door to the family’s Brookside home. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025 The dire wolves known to paleontologists, however, are different from the creatures that can now be viewed in Colossal videos gamboling in an open field. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gambol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambol
  1. spree
  2. cavort
  3. romp
  4. dance
  5. revel
  6. frolic
  7. lark
  8. hop
Noun
  • Deputies said suspect Viviana Rocha carried out her alleged tire-slashing spree in the 5000 block of Verdugo Way on Wednesday morning.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Liverpool finished fifth last season, despite a club-record $565 million transfer spree during the 2025 summer window.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of spree
Verb
  • Euphoric players cavorting in disbelief, long-suffering fans crumpling to their knees in tears, commentators’ voices cracking at the drama of it all.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • Actors depicting a who’s who of artists, like Picasso and Warhol, cavort around the stage.
    — Daniella Walsh, Oc Register, 25 July 2026
Definition of cavort
Noun
  • The crumbling institution makes an appropriately strange backdrop for a romp that mixes madcap antics, tangled romantic relationships, and the frank, sometimes enthusiastically gross sexuality that is one of Waller-Bridge’s signatures.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • As Kris attempts to crack the origin story of Camp Miasma, the two embark on gory, sexy and campy romp in the woods.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of romp
Verb
  • Ellie the Elephant continued to bring the energy and embrace the theme, changing from her tunnel look into a basketball uniform and another set of Air Jordans to dance through the night.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The sound of the title track is reminiscent of kicking a pebble on a road or watching dust particles dancing in a shaft of light.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of dance
Noun
  • In the summer, the monsoon rains fatten the grass into a verdant shag, an annual revel for grazers.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The historic Paulaner brewery hosts three weeks of rowdy revels, kicking off on March 6.
    — Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of revel
Verb
  • Kids frolicked in the new Nikki Spoelstra Play Forest, one of the segment’s highlights, while a band played and vendors hawked food by South Miami City Hall as advocates and officials spoke at the dedication.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The linocut print depicts women and children frolicking together by the shoreline.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of frolic
Noun
  • Feeling slightly out of place amid this crowd is Annie, here on a lark to appease her sister.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • That includes a bird-calling scene that sees the duo strolling through the forest and offering up their own spin on the calls of thrushes and larks.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 June 2026
Definition of lark
Verb
  • The pools are worth the visit alone—killer views, and plenty of space to hop around to keep the scenery fresh.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Players hopped golf cart rides to class, on the rare occasion that the class wasn’t online.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of hop

Browse Nearby Words

gambling (with)
gambol
gamboled
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Gambol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambol. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on gambol

Nglish: Translation of gambol for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All