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as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
it was possible to peek through the rift in the fence and see the ball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to rupture
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rift
Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
The rift between the two leaders over the pope’s stance on the war was settled on the sidelines of the G7 in Evian, France, during a brief meeting this week.
—Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
The police, unsurprisingly, started to fire tear gas canisters again, trying to rift and wedge the fleeing protesters.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 28 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rift
Noun
Two sources also indicated that the decision to stop development of the HALO module has not caused a rift between NASA and one of its major contractors.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
The rift between the two leaders over the pope’s stance on the war was settled on the sidelines of the G7 in Evian, France, during a brief meeting this week.
—Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
Verb
However, the supercontinent began to rift and splinter in the late Triassic about 230 million years ago.
—Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
The police, unsurprisingly, started to fire tear gas canisters again, trying to rift and wedge the fleeing protesters.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 28 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift
Noun
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So, too, does the idea that a soccer coach could close fissures that even the well-meaning among career politicians have failed to seal.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
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The group is particularly interested in suspending, fracturing, and reconstructing time through which othered bodies and identities pass, and in exploring the attendant emerging fissures.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Related Stories The central tension running through his presentation was a per-capita gap that remains vast.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
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Compare that to what Qatar has built at Paris Saint-Germain — a Champions League infrastructure and a global brand — and the gap between ambition and results is clear.—
Wael Mahdi,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Larvae can rupture arteries, causing severe bleeding and leaving the animals severely anemic.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
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An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a dangerous bulge in the body’s largest artery that can rupture without warning, with a death rate as high as 81%.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
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The crevices may not be fully cleaned through the dishwasher.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
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The four baby falcons hatched in early May, laid by a five-year-old falcon named Vixen, who began nesting in a crevice on the second floor of the exterior of Aurora City Hall in early April.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2026
Noun
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The crash also resulted in a large hole in the side of the vessel.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
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The piece has seven holes for customization, and it’s designed to be worn at the hips or waist.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
Verb
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If the alliance continues to fracture, what might NATO look like a few years from now?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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As in the Assembly on Monday, Republicans spoke vehemently against the taxes but had little chance at fracturing the Democrat supermajority.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Iranian Americans are torn over Iran’s participation in the World Cup, as some community members plan to watch today’s match and others plan to protest outside the stadium where the team will play.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
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The muscle had torn in half, and doctors feared permanent damage to the nerves in his calf.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The excellent Julian Quinones’ early goal settled any nerves and then came the emotive, heart-rending second from talisman Raul Jimenez in the second half.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Our mopey heroine is Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall), a 28-year-old obituary writer who grew up spending summers lakeside in a small Canadian town but hasn’t been back since her world-rending split with Sam Florek (Matt Cornett), the boy next door.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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