1
as in bay
a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline
we dipped our feet in the warm waters of the gulf
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in abyss
an immeasurable depth or space
the gulf of understanding between the two men was too wide for them to ever get along
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
the gulf was too wide to cross, so we had to hike down into it and go through it
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
a wide gulf in the defensive wall meant the city was in grave danger
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to flood
to cover with a flood
with the administration gulfed by so many real problems, it's absurd for the president to concern himself with this nonissue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 gulf
Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
The two sides remain at loggerheads over the reforms Democrats are demanding to immigration enforcement practices and negotiators were unable to bridge the sizable gulf.
—The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Ferris Jabr, Smithsonian, 8 Jan. 2018
Read More: Gulf Spat Escalates as Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. Media Attack Qatar
Institutional and individual investors from the GCC sold 34.6 million riyals ($9.5 million) of Qatari stocks on Monday, the most in a single trading session since March 21.
—Glen Carey, Bloomberg.com, 30 May 2017
See All Example Sentences for gulf
Noun
John had become estranged from two families, leaving a gulf between him and his children, especially Prince.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
The two sides remain at loggerheads over the reforms Democrats are demanding to immigration enforcement practices and negotiators were unable to bridge the sizable gulf.
—The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
So many gulfs separate us now: geographical, anatomical, psychological.
—Ferris Jabr, Smithsonian, 8 Jan. 2018
Read More: Gulf Spat Escalates as Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. Media Attack Qatar
Institutional and individual investors from the GCC sold 34.6 million riyals ($9.5 million) of Qatari stocks on Monday, the most in a single trading session since March 21.
—Glen Carey, Bloomberg.com, 30 May 2017
See All Example Sentences for gulf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gulf
Noun
-
An incoming projectile explodes over the water in the bay of Haifa off of the northern Israeli coastal city on February 28, 2026.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
-
This includes the 52-mile San Diego River Park in Mission Valley, and the preservation of canyons, beach and bay parks.—
Michael Stepner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Measure out the width of your appliance, cut it to that size, and then stuff it into the gapped area to stop items from disappearing into the abyss.—
Candace Madonna,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Darnold, still just 28, is back from the abyss and ascending.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Altogether, Saguaro is 92,000 acres, with mountains, canyons, 200 miles of hiking trails, and iconic cacti that can grow to be 50 feet tall.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The vacation spots on this list are romantic, but they’re also designed for duo travel—whether that looks like pairing up with a partner to rappel down canyons in Dominica, trying twice as many dishes on a pintxo crawl in San Sebastian, or co-marveling at South African sunsets.—
Jessica Sulima,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Uneven progress is a polite way of saying that not only does California’s achievement gap persist, but the state’s academic outcomes still fall behind those of other states in national testing.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Income and wealth inequality are not new concerns for the US economy, but the gap between the haves and the have-nots widened this past year.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu guides me from a pitch-black hallway into an open space, where beams of light and smoke, interspersed with sounds from the streets of Mexico City, create a vortex into a unique cinematic experience.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
On a welcome muddy day in January — a warmish respite between polar vortexes and snowstorms — a small work crew hoisted 20-foot long steel pipes into a hole being bored hundreds of feet deep in the scraggly field across from Union Station in New Haven.—
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Athletes just flood the zone and the party begins.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront will likely become flooded, the weather service said.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The plants that thrived in that ecosystem formed protective estuaries.—
Melina Walling,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Built in the estuary of what was once the River Kaystros, near the Aegean coast, Ephesus thrived as a trading hub connecting east and west.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Another event planned to return to Scripps Park this year is San Diego Triathalon Challenge Weekend, highlighted by a 1-mile ocean swim, 30-mile bike ride and 8-mile run.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The rooms Each of the 11 rooms and two suites is individually decorated, some in bold blues and whites, to reflect the ocean beyond, with elegant colonial-style furnishings that mirror the origins of its founding English owners.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
