GULF Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

gulf 1 of 2

noun

ˈgəlf

Definition of gulf

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

Part of that is due to the former's RTX xx70 tier being unable to compete with the latter's RTX xx90 tier—a gulf that stretches across GPU generations. — Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 19 Sep. 2026 That was the most glaring example of the gulf between the two teams in terms of duels, aggression and general competitiveness. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Verb

The Anna Bowden of this Cape Fear bridges that gulf a little. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gulf

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gulf

Noun

On his latest, Young’s major-key meditations on love and alienation are as winsome as a bay breeze, if occasionally as insubstantial.

— Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
The complex will feature four payload bays, two encapsulation bays, and a dedicated area for processing multiple payloads together.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of bay

Noun

The film’s musical score, by Damon Albarn of Blur, has a haunting Bowie-like party-on-the-abyss shimmer.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Her writing transports us to Mount Sinai, Transylvania, Africa, the Amazon rainforest, Antarctica, Yellowstone, and the deep ocean abyss.

— The Know, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of abyss

Noun

The hikers made it to Horse Camp, a popular staging area, but couldn’t find the trail and traveled down a steep, dry river canyon.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The area is sparsely populated with private estates set atop hills or within canyons, making firefighting access difficult.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of canyon

Noun

The wealth gap has political stakes, too That sense of waiting for an opportunity has electoral relevance.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
After recent decreases in 2026/27 prices, the gap has closed, but prices for 2027/28 NY/ICE contracts have been trading at a discount to 2026/27 prices.

— SJ Guest Editorial, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of gap

Noun

Federal forecasters warned that the former hurricane and its warm, humid gusts could create unstable air and general storm cells that would become vortexes.

— Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
In Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, smaller eddies and vortices near the perimeter feed the giant maelstrom in the center.

— Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of vortex

Verb

To make way for what will be the third reservoir to serve the canal, an area of more than 11,000 acres that is currently home to schools, churches, farms and cemeteries will have to be flooded and at least 1,600 residents re-homed.

— Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
In the post-George Floyd era, some young adults have been reluctant to become police officers compared to the days when departments were flooded with applications from eager jobseekers.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of flood

Noun

The ministry also said a bulk carrier headed to the port of Mykolaiv with military cargo on board was hit in the estuary of the Bug river along the Black Sea.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
But these sites also come with dangers, as demonstrated by the massive Moss Landing battery fire in January 2025, which prompted the evacuation of about 1,500 residents and deposited heavy metals in a nearby estuary.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of estuary

Browse Nearby Words

gulches

gulf

gulfed

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Style

“Gulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gulf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of gulf

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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