gully

noun

variants also gulley
Definition of gullynext
as in trench
a long, narrow cut or low area in the ground that water moves through when it rains

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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 gully On June 6, 1966, on a stretch of Highway 51 just south of Hernando, Mississippi, a portly, middle-aged white man named Aubrey Norvell stepped out of a gully, lifted his shotgun and fired three shots at James Meredith, a Black civil rights activist and Air Force veteran. — Aram Goudsouzian, The Conversation, 11 June 2026 The concrete gully gave us a cool car-racing scene in the movie Grease, but a rare natural urban oasis was turned into a 51-mile eyesore snaking through the city. — Time, 19 May 2026 Martin acknowledged piling bison carcasses in a gulley for erosion control. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 18 May 2026 The routing is set to ride sandy ridges and weave through natural gullies. — Zach Schenfisch, Forbes.com, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gully
  1. trench
  2. canyon
  3. ravine
  4. wadi
  5. gutter
  6. arroyo
  7. gulch
  8. gorge
Noun
  • Firefighters hacked through wood, slate and concrete trench lines, a process the Reserve Organization of America says likely generated silica-containing dust.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The front office also re-signed key interior trench pieces, keeping offensive guard Sam Cosmi locked up alongside defensive tackle Daron Payne, while adding offensive line depth with veteran additions to protect Daniels.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of trench
Noun
  • Standing on stilts near the top of the canyon, it is surrounded by brush and dirt on either side and is more than 200 feet from the nearest house north of Mulholland.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The statue was modeled after a real burro that lived in the canyon in the early 20th century.
    — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of canyon
Noun
  • Many more were imperiled by muddy water racing through the narrow ravines, sparking frantic rescue missions for dozens.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The helicopter then returned to the ravine and carried out the same technical maneuver to bring the second climber to safety.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of ravine
Noun
  • On the way to the wadi, visitors can detour to the ruins of the frankincense capital of Samharam or drive up Jebel Samhan for a view of the clouds and a Baobao forest.
    — Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
  • New geophysical surveys and coring of the wadi would shed more light on the hydrological aspects of the area, while other surveys might reveal where the eastward tunnels of the pyramid lead.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2024
Definition of wadi
Noun
  • This includes checking around your property for leaks affecting your gutters, pools, buckets, and other areas where water can collect.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
  • So spots like gutters, soffits, and even exhaust vents are appealing to them.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of gutter
Noun
  • Grassroots organizers also say the first wave of notices did not reach many residents who live on one side of the arroyo and were distributed only in English.
    — Mack Baysinger Follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • Her soon-to-be husband waited for her where the arroyo opened to the road.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of arroyo
Noun
  • Plastic waste flutters and settles into gulches, catches in the fencing.
    — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • Head right, and there came public land, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest with its creeks and gulches and two-bit towns like Peanut and Beegum.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of gulch
Noun
  • Progress has been hampered by persistent rain and challenging terrain, as crews have to work in a narrow mountain gorge, hemmed in between unstable cliffs and a fast-flowing river.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The mother and daughter are among 90 Americans missing after the devastating landslide and flood, which tore through steep mountain gorges near the Nepal-China border and surged downstream along a river, wiping out entire villages.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of gorge

Browse Nearby Words

gulls
gully
gulp
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Cite this Entry

“Gully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gully. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gully

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gully

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