gape 1 of 2

Definition of gapenext
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
Give someone these Santa Maria Novella Melograno Bath Salts, tell them the history, and watch as their mouths gape in surprise. Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026 At times, the actor feels more like a design element, akin to the marble coffins and gape-mouthed friezes of this gothic world. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
Shalini Adnani’s poignant coming-of-age drama Our Share of Sand presents a unique perspective on India’s gaping class inequality, child labor and the deep corruption underpinning a family’s economic status. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Advocates hope — with varying degrees of optimism — that the result will help close the gaping disparities in how different demographic groups perform. Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gape
Noun
  • So here was Hynde, an American girl with a smoldering stare, and her three British male back-up musicians.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Two years later, when coached by New Zealander Warren Gatland, Wales learned that a haka was not technically over until any side looked away — and so began a tense 80-second stare-off between the two sides.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Such an approach runs the risk of gawking at an unfamiliar people, their hegemonies and their ways of life, even with the best intentions.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, site offers visitors a chance to gawk at a vast array of the figurines as well as learn more about their history, and offers bobbleheads for sale.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Or its lazy gaze and obsession with gloss over lived-in texture, which sinks its moments of violence into forgettable trifles?
    Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The goal is to adorn the eyes without pulling too much focus, instead framing gazes in a way that honors the holistic ease of your look.
    Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • To his eyes, the 11th century record of the Norman conquest offers an extreme example of the value of studying history’s patterns to anticipate future developments.
    Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • While the rest of MomTok goes through it (except for Whitney, who is having the time of her life), they are only ever given half of our attention because Taylor and her eye-wateringly poor decision-making are impossible to sideline.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gape. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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