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
  • And Amthor the ‘psychic consultant’ and Sonderberg the ‘dope doctor’ are lesser figures in a novel in which no detail is left undescribed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • Because that was the trend this week, and next week the same unoriginal dopes will be onto something else.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 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
  • 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
  • Not going anywhere Mikey Anderson Anderson carries positive five-on-five play metrics across the board and chews important minutes for the Kings.
    — Eric Stephens, New York Times, 21 May 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
  • Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 June 2026
  • At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 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
  • As with any kind of cooking, how a dish tastes is all in how it is cooked.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 29 July 2026
  • The result is fresh, bright and unmistakably summery—a milk punch that tastes very little like milk, but could not exist without it.
    — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 25 July 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 1 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gums

Nglish: Translation of gums for Spanish Speakers

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