gape 1 of 2

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
Centre-back Eric Garcia, dragged wide to cover, left a gaping hole for Mendes to drive through with the ball. Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025 And parenting without a mom leaves a gaping hole for many since mothers often provide instrumental support and emotional scaffolding needed in the postpartum period. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gape
Noun
  • Grant kisses his mother’s cheek at her door while Evelyn locks eyes with Rose, giving her a threatening stare.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Some feminists saw that as presumption, skipping the long price of admission—slights, salaries, stares.
    James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Adelman stopped in to gawk at the scoreboard for a bit, and who knows, maybe to scout for candidates to fill the Nuggets’ 15th roster spot as well.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
  • In Park Slope, on 9th Street just past Eighth Avenue, the crowds flowing out of Prospect Park sometimes stop to gawk at a row of oddly whimsical townhouses.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Others slammed it for catering to the male gaze and taking inspiration from Brooke Shields' controversial 1980 denim campaign.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Eyes not on the sides of their heads, and a quick, macular gaze that isn’t like other animals’.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Despite having the same 6-2 record, the selection committee appears to be going off the old eye test instead of valuing head-to-head matchups.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The extent of the unavoidable seemed to be in the eye of the beholder.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gape. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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