GUMS Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

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

as in clumps

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Dissimilar Words

as in oils

Related Words

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

Noun

Messages were sent to help him … but the big dope didn’t notice.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
So many people are doing amazing things on the show, like our dope writers and animators.

— Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 27 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

Robin doesn’t know how to use the word ‘’literally,’’ Ted corrects everyone, Lily chews too loudly, and Barney speaks in falsetto.

— Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Along for the ride in pouches behind its mandibles are spores of a fungus that are released as the insect chews through the wood.

— Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of chews

Verb

That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.

— Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of licks

Verb

Rectitude is a hindrance in the game of electoral politics, where money greases the slippery pole and glad-hands welcome the winner with inside information.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of greases

Browse Nearby Words

gumption

gums

gumshoe

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Style

“Gums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gums. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of gums

noun

verb

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