Synonyms of gulf

gulf 1 of 2

noun

ˈgəlf 

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

• bay
• estuary
• cove
• firth
• loch
• inlet
• port
• creek
• fjord
• embayment
• bight
• harbor
• bayou
• arm
• strait
• sound
• narrow
• road(s)
• roadstead
• backwater
• slough

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

• abyss
• ocean
• chasm
• expanse
• deep
• fissure
• cavern
• abysm
• hole
• crevice
• pit
• cleft
• void
• emptiness
• crevasse
• stretch
• extent
• breadth
• hollow
• reach
• vacuum
• vacancy
• black hole
• nothingness
• spread
• vacuity

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

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

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

• gap
• hole
• crevice
• rift
• interval
• opening
• void
• fissure
• breach
• discontinuity
• crack
• rent
• separation
• break
• interstice
• hiatus
• slit
• cleft
• chasm
• split
• abyss
• cavity
• pore
• slot
• fracture
• orifice
• aperture
• rupture
• cranny
• interspace
• notch
• severance
• gape
• chink
• sundering

5

as in vortex

water moving rapidly in a circle with a hollow in the center

the doomed ship was sucked into the gulf and consigned to Davy Jones's locker

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vortex
• maelstrom
• whirlpool
• swirl
• eddy
• tourbillion
• whirl

gulf

2 of 2

verb

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

• flood
• engulf
• overwhelm
• drown
• swamp
• submerge
• deluge
• inundate
• overflow
• overcome
• flush
• flow
• stream
• submerse
• wet
• overrun
• avalanche
• smother
• spurt
• gush
• sluice
• spout
• soak
• pour
• drench
• douse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drain
• dry
• dehydrate
• parch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gulf

Noun

The attempt to rename the gulf, which has gone by the same name since the 16th Century, drew international opposition, and numerous media outlets vowed to stick with the common and internationally recognized usage. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Every lake is Lake America, and every gulf is the Gulf of America. — Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026

Verb

The Anna Bowden of this Cape Fear bridges that gulf a little. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 24 July 2026