as in girlfriends
a female romantic companion
every Jack must have his Gill
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1
as in canyons
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in creeks
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge
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Recent Examples of gills
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
On the underside of its cap are white gills and spores.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The mushroom is usually a few inches tall but can grow larger and has white gills, a pale yellow or green cap and a ring around its stalk.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
The feathery-looking gills also molt and remain attached inside near the legs.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 7 Jan. 2026
Them gills is sharp as razors, too.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Once the ray is anesthetized, an aquarist gets into the water with the ray to make sure that water is flowing over their gills and to keep the ray in position during his exam.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Dec. 2025
Clear eyes, bright gills, and a clean scent usually signal freshness, while cloudy eyes or a foul odor are seen as warnings.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Dec. 2025
The Crash Zone spilled from its gills, extending beyond the end-of-the-runway fields and into the surrounding cityscape.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
Noun
Execution is more of the issue, as the film’s 112-minute running time feels both packed to the gills and unable to fully tackle everything James’ script throws at the wall.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
On the underside of its cap are white gills and spores.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The mushroom is usually a few inches tall but can grow larger and has white gills, a pale yellow or green cap and a ring around its stalk.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
The feathery-looking gills also molt and remain attached inside near the legs.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 7 Jan. 2026
Them gills is sharp as razors, too.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Once the ray is anesthetized, an aquarist gets into the water with the ray to make sure that water is flowing over their gills and to keep the ray in position during his exam.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Dec. 2025
Clear eyes, bright gills, and a clean scent usually signal freshness, while cloudy eyes or a foul odor are seen as warnings.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Dec. 2025
The Crash Zone spilled from its gills, extending beyond the end-of-the-runway fields and into the surrounding cityscape.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gills. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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