GULF Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

gulf 1 of 2

noun

ˈgəlf

Definition of gulf next

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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Relevance

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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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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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 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

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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

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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

Noun

But there remains a gulf between the two countries, who each portrayed the temporary truce as a victory for their nations. —

Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026 Much of that oil exits the gulf through the Strait of Hormuz to reach customers around the world, but Iran has blocked it to enemies. —

Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 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

There are flying cars held at bay by the power of telekenesis and Park teleporting, as the crew clumsily accept their new ‘hero’ roles and attempt to take on the villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
The two coastal towns are about eight miles apart; however, Lewes’s public beach is considered more family-friendly because of its calm bay waters.

— Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026