as in panting
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty
the runner was audibly gasping by the end of the marathon
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Recent Examples of gasping
The fears of my imagination, the possibility of losing a child due to one inattentive moment, all combined to leave me gasping for breath.
—
Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Their difficult, high-flying act left the judges and live audience gasping.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Howard’s best comedies have a light, almost effortless touch, but this one is panting and gasping essentially from the opening frames.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
An electrician described gasping for air while hospitalized with Legionnaire's.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Floating somewhere between lucid dreams and nightmares, Desde el Coma feels like waking up gasping for air — a kaleidoscope of bruises, chaos, and resurrection.
—Natalia Cano, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
The laggards, meanwhile, are still gasping for oxygen.
—Rob Day, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But for braver audiences, notably those more used to Europe’s cinema of provocation, Blue Film speaks out loud about the unspeakable, featuring scenes that would leave even Gaspar Noé gasping.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2025
These breathing disruptions can cause snoring, snorting, or gasping for air.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Their difficult, high-flying act left the judges and live audience gasping.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Howard’s best comedies have a light, almost effortless touch, but this one is panting and gasping essentially from the opening frames.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
An electrician described gasping for air while hospitalized with Legionnaire's.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Floating somewhere between lucid dreams and nightmares, Desde el Coma feels like waking up gasping for air — a kaleidoscope of bruises, chaos, and resurrection.
—Natalia Cano, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
The laggards, meanwhile, are still gasping for oxygen.
—Rob Day, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But for braver audiences, notably those more used to Europe’s cinema of provocation, Blue Film speaks out loud about the unspeakable, featuring scenes that would leave even Gaspar Noé gasping.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2025
These breathing disruptions can cause snoring, snorting, or gasping for air.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gasping
panting
Verb
-
Howard’s best comedies have a light, almost effortless touch, but this one is panting and gasping essentially from the opening frames.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Officers responding to the scene found the dog panting heavily, with excessive drool coating the back seat.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gasping. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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