gasps 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gasp
as in pants
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty the runner was audibly gasping by the end of the marathon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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gasps

2 of 2

noun

plural of gasp
as in sighs

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 gasps
Verb
At this, the paddock gasps in unison. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026 Another video shows Wallen walking back towards the piano, as the audience gasps and cheers in response. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026 Agnes gasps for breath as her imagination plays out terrible scenarios that she’s never been given words for. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026 Deadline journalists sat towards the back of the room said the N-word and other slurs were audible, as were gasps when Davidson made his involuntary tics. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2026 The rest of the gang rushes inside to be at Eleven’s side and save the children who are trapped inside on the Pain Tree, while Vecna burbles and gasps for air. — Yohana Desta, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2026 The clashes drew bursts of laughter and, sometimes, gasps, from the show's studio audience and from home viewers. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025 Demerzel gasps, and for once Day isn’t preening in the mirror but bowing his head. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gasps
  1. pants
  2. whispers
  3. heaves
  4. murmurs
  5. hisses
  6. moans
Verb
  • Like Fritz said, Tiafoe snatched his NBA-style pants off in one motion.
    — Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • White bandana, beat-up sneakers, black windbreaker pants.
    — Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 7 June 2026
Definition of pants
Noun
  • The whispers had grown too loud to ignore, and a grand jury was convened.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
  • But eccentricity is only the visible tip of the vast iceberg of Vibeke’s mental health issues, and soon Karl and Rikke are conferring in low whispers about whether, and when, to slip some ground-up sleeping pills into her drink.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of whispers
Verb
  • In another video, an emergency worker heaves a large stone aside while working to free people from the wreckage.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 25 June 2026
  • Moscow’s next move, as its skyline heaves with sooty smoke, must be to find a way to accept its weakness, and accommodate it, while not projecting anything other than strength.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
Definition of heaves
Noun
  • For weeks, there have been murmurs in DC about a coming White House move to address the inevitability of powerful, open-source Chinese AI models being used by people and businesses across the globe.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
  • Despite murmurs of sessions for a new album, which began circulating in 2022, there’s no official news as of yet about a seventh Sade album.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 30 June 2026
Definition of murmurs
Noun
  • Up in the stands, fans waved their own flags — including some sneaked in over the objections of FIFA and the courts — and wrestled with emotions, as boos, howls and hisses rained down from all corners of the stadium.
    — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
  • Spray paint hisses and music envelops Amsterdam Avenue as Knicks colors cover the sidewalk.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Definition of hisses
Noun
  • In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
  • Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of moans

Browse Nearby Words

gasping
gasps
gassed
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Cite this Entry

“Gasps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gasps. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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