gapes 1 of 2

noun

plural of gape
as in stares
a fixed intent look I told him to stop staring, that his rather stupid gape was annoying

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gapes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gape
as in gazes
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise she suddenly realized she had been gaping at the good-looking waiter instead of giving him her order

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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 gapes
Verb
Straitjacketed inside the inescapable present, Pearl gapes up to discover that her husband, Walker, has found her; Walker was always going to find her. — Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gapes
  1. stares
  2. gazes
  3. eyes
Noun
  • The crowd sips matcha dragon fruit cocktails and stares, aghast.
    — Dina Cheney, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Her wide eyes speak their own language of panicked blinks and observant stares.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 15 July 2026
Definition of stares
Verb
  • Yan gazes intently at how the colors reflect against Pascoal’s skin, eyes and hair.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • It’s presented as an impressionistic historical montage, of Black farmworkers and the land, with clips of Black history that include modern suburbs, and a woman—Z herself—who gazes out of a door into a sere expanse of land bordered by low mountains.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of gazes
Noun
  • In late summer or early fall, dig up the plant and divide the fleshy roots into clumps with one to three eyes.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The boy goes to live with his mother, a kind-looking blond woman with sparkly blue eyes.
    — Ledio Cakaj, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of eyes

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Cite this Entry

“Gapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gapes. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of gapes for Spanish Speakers

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