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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5
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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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.
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Recent Examples of gulf
Roger Trapp, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
This move followed a spat between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office on Friday, which widened the gulf between Washington and Kyiv and rallied European countries around Ukraine.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
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
As with many other areas of management practice, this gulf between leaders and laggards is likely to have significant ramifications for organizations.
—Roger Trapp, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
This move followed a spat between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office on Friday, which widened the gulf between Washington and Kyiv and rallied European countries around Ukraine.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
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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The body of Laci and her unborn son washed up separately along the Richmond shoreline four months later after a storm churned up the bay.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2025
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Their goal is to save both the bay and its people, as in the universe—called anya, in the Yoreme language—everything is interconnected.—
Gwendolina Duval,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The only temporary catharsis was blasting golf balls into the abyss.—
Jordan Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2025
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The edgy status quo will worsen as continuing natural disasters, government layoffs, and tariff wars push more working families toward the precipice where stability drops into the abyss.—
Jeff Hobbs,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The indoor-outdoor flow and natural materials will nod to the surroundings, while a central lodge with 360 canyon views will act as a communal gathering space.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The Gulf would become a shipping channel, with 900-foot tankers traversing its narrow deep-water canyons that great whales and other marine species have evolved over millions of years to depend on for food, communication, mating, shelter and safe passage.—
Joel Reynolds,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Next-Gen Anti-Ransomware Protection—Preemptive And Resilient Security Despite AV and EDR advancements, modern ransomware tactics—including encryption bypass and stealthy execution—continue to exploit gaps in endpoint defenses.—
Bob Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Assuming that the two indices continued to diverge by the current rate, the gap would only grow.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Ours is the work of helping others hold those artifacts and insights in their hands, however briefly, and of considering what ought to be reserved from the ever-sucking vortex of oblivion—and why.—
D. Graham Burnett,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2025
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Even Andrew Madley, the referee, fell victim to the vortex of Paqueta’s aura when he was accidentally brought down by the Brazilian.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Christians and Muslims flooded social media with tributes, remembering his vocal condemnation of violence and consistent empathy for Gaza's civilians.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
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Following the announcement, he was immediately flooded with congratulatory comments.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But, to their delight, the whale was last seen on the afternoon of March 25, appearing to exit the estuary.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
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The latest details: Alarmingly high concentrations of heavy metals were found at Elkhorn Slough, California’s second-largest estuary.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Manmade sources of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can seep into ocean waters and encourage the growth of algae blooms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2025
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Courtesy of The Edition The Miami Beach Edition is somehow both a sanctuary and a social haven: their spacious guest rooms are adorned in warm calming neutrals and pale woods, many with balconies that look over the ocean.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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