run the gamut

1. To cover a whole range: “The students' reactions to the novel ran the gamut from delight to loathing.”

Idioms and Phrases

Extend over an entire range, as in His music runs the gamut from rock to classical. This expression alludes to the medieval musical scale of Guido d'Arezzo, gamut being a contraction of gamma and ut, the lowest and highest notes respectively. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Thus far, the reaction to Season 4 has run the gamut — where some condemn what they consider continuing stagnation, others cheer a return to form.

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Her salads run the gamut—apple with pecorino, lentils and radicchio; blueberry with oat groats, chicories and buttermilk; raw cabbage with ground cherries, cilantro, pepitas and lime.

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The films, which are cued as though musical elements, run the gamut of cinematic styles and periods.

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These films have run the gamut — sometimes focusing on the survivors, sometimes on the shooters, sometimes on the parents — and likewise their strategies have varied, either promising catharsis, hope or insight.

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Beyond food, their options run the gamut of commercial goods: iPads, Plan B, Narcan, and actual bullets.

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