as in canyons
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 gulches
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
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
NPR, 4 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gulches
Noun
-
Some 4,800 units were erected along the hills and canyons of Kearny Mesa in less than a year.—
Eric DuVall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Trails in the area can also take visitors down into the canyons, through downtown Laguna Beach, or even into neighboring towns.—
Acacia Gabriel,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
She was found hours later, barely alive and with a fractured skull, having been brutally raped and left for dead in one of the park’s ravines.—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The Rock Creek Loop traverses approximately seven miles of ravines, creeks, subtropical forest, and small footbridges.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The island’s eastern region of Lasithi is home to dramatic gorges, small mountain villages, Europe’s largest natural palm forest—and fewer crowds.—
Yulia Denisyuk,
Robb Report,
16 Apr. 2026
-
One of the most popular hikes—the Vikos Gorge—journeys through one of the deepest gorges, winding along quiet villages and monasteries.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When the set was ready, fans heard a story (narrated by Karol in Spanish, and projected onto the screens in English) about a girl who had to break from social expectations to find her voice, and who used that strength to create light, water, fire, and valleys.—
Vanessa Diaz,
Rolling Stone,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The low snowfall in the valleys around the Great Salt Lake are symptoms of the lake's chronically low water levels, Abbott said.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gulches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulches. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
