gape 1 of 2

Definition of gapenext

gape

2 of 2

verb

as in to stare
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise she suddenly realized she had been gaping at the good-looking waiter instead of giving him her order

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 gape
Noun
Many bird species young have this gape so the parents can more easily direct food into their mouths. Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025 For instance, that toothy gape up front is corralled by a goatee of nearly 200 digital light whiskers. New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
Lastly, some members of the mainstream media’s reports on the violent anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis have been draped in gross mischaracterizations and gaping omissions. Michael Zais, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026 Straitjacketed inside the inescapable present, Pearl gapes up to discover that her husband, Walker, has found her; Walker was always going to find her. Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gape
Noun
  • Her vacant stares are laced with just enough recognizable humanity to make the camera question what, if anything, is going on behind her eyes — a mystery that looms over the entire story.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Awkward giggles and ruthless stares punctuate silence until the blind matriarch (played by Tracy Letts) asks his daughter to describe Martha’s (Elle Fanning) appearance to him in exhaustive detail.
    David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Setting aside the gawking nature of certain style choices (the warped, swiveling, 360-degree shots used when someone starts talking about particularly demented ideas are nauseating on multiple levels), the series too closely mirrors its subjects’ insularity.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Bystanders gawk and cheer from the sidewalks.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • It’s connected through the gaze of the house.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • But that’s not because their scene isn’t worth our gaze.
    Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • When Obama delivered his election-night victory speech in Chicago’s Grant Park in 2008 to a massive crowd of cheering onlookers, the cameras caught Jackson looking on, tears in his eyes.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
  • In the winter months, wasps aren't nesting in his eyes.
    Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gape. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.

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