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
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
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
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 17 June 2025
Now, Google Tells 2 Billion Users Given the gulf in quality between Bayern and Auckland City, should Kompany have played a more experimental lineup?
—Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
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
But there is a lot of evidence that the nation’s political gulf just keeps getting wider and more bitter.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 17 June 2025
Now, Google Tells 2 Billion Users Given the gulf in quality between Bayern and Auckland City, should Kompany have played a more experimental lineup?
—Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
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
-
The island is so close to shore and the water in the bay, which the breeze had rucked into a frenzy of small whitecaps, didn’t seem to be giving the smaller fishing boats any trouble.—
Emma Sloley
August 14,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Researchers with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy are hoping to learn more about these shark and hooked striped bass interactions this summer, and the camera tags in Cape Cod Bay may help shed some light on this shark behavior in the bay.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Mike Birbiglia’s The Good Life, Marc Maron’s Panicked, Cameron Esposito’s Four Pills, and Bill Burr’s Drop Dead Years are all hours of comedy about reckoning with mortality, and each in their own way is a lovely, absurd, painful depiction of someone staring into an abyss and choosing to laugh.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Which is a reminder that inflation is a policy choice, not some long and painful hike back from the proverbial abyss.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
Noun
-
The same button allows the driver to summon V-mode for canyon carving and track days.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
-
Excellent guide/driver combos take guests off-roading on geological Big 5 safari drives to see salt flats, geysers at 14,000 feet, canyons and dunes that rival Jordan and Utah, and a string of volcanoes that make this part of Chile one of the most active sites in the world.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Yet regardless of the device or price point, a gap remains in the investment that most companies are making in technology to support remote work for their rank-and-file employees.—
Melody Brue,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Frank often asks one of his centre-backs to push ahead of the other, which could leave gaps for top opposition to exploit, but Spurs have the athleticism to make up for it in Romero, Van de Ven, and Kevin Danso.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Felix is drawn deeper and deeper into the vortex of his darkest desires and is forced to confront his subconscious longings, before discovering that there is only one true wish for him.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 Aug. 2025
-
In 2023, a storm chase group was trapped inside of their Toyota Camry in the vortex of a killer tornado.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Several Survivor alums flooded the comments section on Kay's post to share their well wishes to the couple.—
Lauren Huff Published,
EW.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
In fact, last year the U.S. Supreme Court refused to rule on the issue in a case brought by Texas ranchers whose property had been effectively taken from them by a Texas transportation project that flooded their land.—
Andrew Wimer,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
While no evacuations were ordered, the government advised residents to immediately leave beaches, harbors, marinas, and estuaries, and to stay out of the water.—
Barney Henderson
Robert Birsel
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
-
Some shark species can be found in North Carolina’s sounds and oceans, while others rarely venture into the state’s estuaries, the North Carolina Sea Grant says.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Picture yourself swimming in the infinity pool while enjoying stunning views of the ocean, or relaxing at the pool bar without ever leaving the water.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
While longtime fans of the ship are still mourning the loss of the SS United States to the bottom of the ocean, some were happy with the new museum design update.—
Danny Freeman,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share