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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of gulf
Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
There are also some Middle Eastern producers that have kept vessels empty outside of the gulf, ready to get their country’s barrels moving again if and when Hormuz opens.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 12 June 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
After the war began, Iran attacked Israel and several Arab gulf nations with missiles and drones.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
There are also some Middle Eastern producers that have kept vessels empty outside of the gulf, ready to get their country’s barrels moving again if and when Hormuz opens.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 12 June 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
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All six whales tagged in Hallaniyat Bay moved between the bay, Gulf of Masirah, and northern Yemen.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
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With two minutes to play in stoppage time, Mexico easily cleared a corner kick from South Korea to keep the Red Devils at bay.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Sun Yuqi An underdog’s shortcut through a success scam, from city vanity to border wilderness, becomes a fatal abyss.—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
17 June 2026
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Habermas wished, in a sense, to vacate the hotel and traverse the abyss outside.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The incident occurred in a remote area of the Mineral Bottom canyon outside of Moab, the Grand County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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Both are easy day trips, close enough for a sunrise hike or an afternoon drive through red rock canyons.—
Tamara Gane,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Related Stories The central tension running through his presentation was a per-capita gap that remains vast.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
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Compare that to what Qatar has built at Paris Saint-Germain — a Champions League infrastructure and a global brand — and the gap between ambition and results is clear.—
Wael Mahdi,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The shape of Shinnecock spins you in a vortex, with crosswinds galore.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Such a point is usually a vortex in a continuous vector field.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Craciun urged folks to flood the committee and Petrie-Norris’ office with calls and letters demanding action.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
21 June 2026
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People flooded the comment section with offers to help.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Noun
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Blue-green algae, known as cyanobacteria, naturally occur in inland waters, estuaries and the sea.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
18 June 2026
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Crocodiles are more tolerant of saltwater than alligators and are commonly found in mangrove habitats, bays and estuaries in South Florida.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The decor is described as calm and contemporary by the yard, with a neutral palette and simple furnishings that allow the ocean surroundings to take focus.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
16 June 2026
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The deaths also came as powerful surf and dangerous ocean conditions battered California's coastline.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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