Synonyms of gulch

gulch

noun

ˈgəlch 

as in canyon

a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage

the gulch floods in the spring with the runoff from the mountains, so wait until later in the summer to hike it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• canyon
• ravine
• gorge
• valley
• saddle
• gap
• col
• flume
• pass
• defile
• crevice
• couloir
• kloof
• linn
• gill
• trench
• abyss
• gulf
• notch
• fissure
• glen
• chasm
• basin
• cleft
• crevasse
• vale
• dale
• gutter
• gully
• cirque
• hollow
• arroyo
• floodplain
• kettle
• dell
• combe
• cwm
• coulee
• trough
• wadi
• wash
• barranca
• shut-in
• nullah
• draw

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gulch

The road to the potato patches — where the community grows most of its vegetables — crosses several large gulches that frequently spill tons of rock and soil onto the track, requiring regular maintenance. — NPR, 4 Apr. 2026

Tucked into the coastal bluffs just off of Highway 1, Calla Lily Valley is a small gulch that explodes with vibrancy this time of year as hundreds of shoulder-high white flowers bloom in unison. — Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Mar. 2026

In the 1910s, Bisbee packed some 35 nationalities onto ledges and into its gulches and streets, with Mexican and Balkan miners among the largest groups, most of them working at Phelps Dodge’s Copper Queen Mine. — Masha Hamilton, Longreads, 19 Feb. 2026

Farther up the gulch, the water formed a pool, which gave off a rank chemical smell. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 29 Oct. 2025