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
Relevance
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 gulch
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
There were more creeks, high hills, big parks, passes, and open mountainsides with broken, timbered canyons and gulches.
—Fred C. Mercer, Outdoor Life, 14 Aug. 2025
Mandatory evacuations were active along the Colorado 13 corridor from the White River near Meeker to south of Piceance Creek Road in Garfield County, parts of Rio Blanco County east of Willow Creek and south of Piceance Creek, and gulches west of Colorado 13.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gulch
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
There were more creeks, high hills, big parks, passes, and open mountainsides with broken, timbered canyons and gulches.
—Fred C. Mercer, Outdoor Life, 14 Aug. 2025
Mandatory evacuations were active along the Colorado 13 corridor from the White River near Meeker to south of Piceance Creek Road in Garfield County, parts of Rio Blanco County east of Willow Creek and south of Piceance Creek, and gulches west of Colorado 13.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gulch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gulch
Noun
-
Few journeys bring you as close to this breathtaking landscape as the Rocky Mountaineer, a train that threads through canyons, forests, and mountain passes.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The mile-deep canyon is 278 river miles long, and 18 miles across at its widest point.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Another hiker died on the same trail one week earlier after falling down a ravine, though officials haven’t clarified whether injuries or illness caused his death.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
This architectural marvel, constructed from natural dolomite lime, curves elegantly across a deep gorge and leads straight into a tunnel cut into solid rock.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
4 May 2026
-
Dimitsana and Arcadian mountain trails The heartland of the Peloponnese is Arcadia, a mountainous province of gorges and hills, many precariously topped by medieval towns.—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 May 2026
-
The heat wave moving into the West is forecast to bring well-above average or even record-breaking temperatures, with lows reaching into the 100s in the valleys of Southern California and Arizona.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gulch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulch. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
