gums 1 of 2

noun

plural of gum
as in mucilages

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gums

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gum
1
as in clumps

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in oils

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3
as in chews

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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 gums
Noun
Receding gums, persistent bad breath and bleeding while brushing or flossing round out the common signs of the gum disease and decay that eventually lead to tooth loss. — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gums
  1. dope
  2. clumps
  3. oils
  4. chews
  5. soils
  6. licks
  7. greases
  8. tastes
Noun
  • Messages were sent to help him … but the big dope didn’t notice.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • So many people are doing amazing things on the show, like our dope writers and animators.
    — Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of dope
Verb
  • Dividing clumps every few years in early spring also maintains their vigor.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026
  • Like generations of potential treatments before it, KRSA-028 is designed to break down a protein called amyloid that clumps up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
    — Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of clumps
Verb
  • Ramakrishnan typically oils her hair twice a week before washing it.
    — Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Definition of oils
Verb
  • Along for the ride in pouches behind its mandibles are spores of a fungus that are released as the insect chews through the wood.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • And the dog that paces through every thunderstorm, or chews a cushion to pieces the moment the house goes quiet, has a calming soft chew made with chamomile, melatonin, and L-theanine.
    — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of chews
Verb
  • Volcanic vineyard soils on display at Omina Romana.
    — Layne Randolph, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
  • At one point, the prisoner soils himself, prompting a vomitous reaction.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Definition of soils
Verb
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Definition of licks
Verb
  • View this post on Instagram Access greases the gears of the entire apparatus by creating its own positive feedback loop, like an ouroboros of exclusivity.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • No eyeball-grabbing videos, no partisan commentary or agenda, and none of the edge or snark that greases the gears of the perpetual-political-outrage machine.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of greases
Verb
  • The ideal dressing tastes tart, salty and just a little sweet, in that order.
    — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Like all garden-fresh vegetables, corn tastes best when just picked.
    — Danielle Ernest, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of tastes

Browse Nearby Words

gumption
gums
gumshoe
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Cite this Entry

“Gums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gums. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gums

Nglish: Translation of gums for Spanish Speakers

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