gulp

verb

\ ˈgəlp

gulped; gulping; gulps

Definition of gulp

transitive verb

1 : to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one swallow

2 : to keep back as if by swallowing gulp down a sob

3 : to take in readily as if by swallowing gulp down knowledge

intransitive verb

: to catch the breath as if in taking a long drink

Other Words from gulp Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about gulp

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Examples of gulp in a Sentence

She told him not to gulp his food. The exhausted racers lay on the ground, gulping air. The exhausted racers were gulping for air. I gulped nervously before beginning my speech. “That's a lot of money,” she gulped. He gulped back tears as he thanked the rescuers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Bootes immediately got all his friends together for a wine-tasting party that quickly got out of hand and turned into a wine-gulping party. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, "Sky Watch: The summer hunter begins his long goodbye," 25 Aug. 2019 Arriving at a cool Corot nude in a darkling landscape or a crisp Picasso nude combing her hair was like gulping fresh air in a miasma. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "Renoir’s Problem Nudes," 19 Aug. 2019 Every night, Hamdullah Hemat gulps down a 500-milligram prescription sleeping pill. — Fatima Faizi, New York Times, "‘It’s Like a Nightmare’: For Bombing Survivors, Anguish That Won’t Stop," 6 Aug. 2019 No harm, no foul Despite their impressive size, humpback whales are filter feeders who gulp down krill and other plankton, as well as small fish like sardines, juvenile salmon, and herring. — Sarah Keartes, National Geographic, "How a humpback whale ended up with a sea lion in its mouth," 30 July 2019 More: Nissan injects Italian design into sports car concept, creating GT-R50 More: Dodge's new 797-horsepower Hellcat Redeye can gulp a tank of gas in 11 minutes This story will be updated with additional deals soon. — Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY, "Oorah! Where active military, vets can save on Independence Day," 1 July 2018 At least one of the inmates who overdosed had grabbed a cup of Methadone from a tray and gulped it after a nurse had left the window. — Josh Kovner, courant.com, "Methadone medication errors cause five overdoses at York prison for women as correction department grapples with opiate epidemic and understaffing," 17 July 2019 Don't be tempted to gulp down cold water as that could cause stomach cramps, according to the CDC. — Steve Almasy, CNN, "Almost 40 million Americans under warnings or advisories because of dangerous heat," 10 July 2019 Thus, sick swimmers are the main source of infection—often young children who have yet to master toilet skills and also have more of a tendency to gulp pool water. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Hard-to-kill poop parasites that lurk in swimming pools on the rise, CDC warns," 1 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gulp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for gulp

gulp

verb

English Language Learners Definition of gulp

: to eat or swallow (something) quickly or in large amounts

: to take (air) into your lungs quickly

: to swallow because of strong emotion (such as fear or shock)

See the full definition for gulp in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gulp

verb

\ ˈgəlp

gulped; gulping

Kids Definition of gulp

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to swallow in a hurry or in large amounts at a time

2 : to breathe in deeply Roy turned his head away to gulp some fresh air.— Carl Hiaasen, Hoot

3 : to keep back as if by swallowing He gulped down a sob.

4 : to say in a nervous way “Oops,” she gulped.

gulp

noun

Kids Definition of gulp (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of swallowing or breathing deeply

2 : a large swallow

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gulp

Definition of gulp

Other Words from gulp

Synonyms for gulp

Examples of gulp in a Sentence

First Known Use of gulp

History and Etymology for gulp

English Language Learners Definition of gulp

Kids Definition of gulp

gulp

Definition of gulp

Other Words from gulp

Synonyms for gulp

Examples of gulp in a Sentence

First Known Use of gulp

History and Etymology for gulp

English Language Learners Definition of gulp

Kids Definition of gulp

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