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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
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Recent Examples of rift
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
Natalie Meade, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Mario Kart World is one of the year's hottest games, but its pivot to an open world setting, while peeling back kart customization options, opened a massive rift for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds to drift into.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rift
Noun
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
Verb
Mavado took the move personally, and the result was a rift that came to be known as the Gully-Gaza war, a beef that was generally fought on the airwaves and in dance halls.
—Natalie Meade, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Mario Kart World is one of the year's hottest games, but its pivot to an open world setting, while peeling back kart customization options, opened a massive rift for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds to drift into.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift
Noun
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Walter talks about developing the character of his protagonist’s son-in-law, whose right-wing politics are one of the causes of the family’s fissure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 June 2025
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How that fissure affects DOGE is yet to be seen, but the White House has already requested $45 million in funding for the group’s operations next year, an Office of Management and Budget document shows.—
William Turton,
ProPublica,
10 June 2025
Noun
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The gap between the two has never been as narrow – at least where security is concerned.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Also, keep an eye out for a long gap in reviews or ratings.—
Kristine Gill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 June 2025
Verb
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If not treated, such pregnancies can rupture, causing organ damage, hemorrhaging or even death.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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Bucks guard Damian Lillard sustained his injury in a first-round loss to Indiana, while Boston’s Jayson Tatum ruptured the same tendon in a second-round defeat at Madison Square Garden.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Make sure to vacuum all carpets and rugs, including hard-to-reach nooks by using your vacuum crevice tool.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
22 June 2025
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Starting among the orange rocks, vaults, and spires of Arches National Park and passing through with the Colorado River–carved crevices of Canyonlands, this journey feels like a visit to Mars.—
Chloe Arrojado,
AFAR Media,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Fuller was then released in February, and the Dolphins still have a major hole for starting-caliber cornerbacks ahead of nickel Kader Kohou after the draft.—
David Furones,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
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Now that hole is being filled with full service, amenitized buildings and a public park along the two mile canal.—
Shimon Shkury,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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In the years to come, a Russian encroachment onto the territory of a Baltic member of NATO, coupled with threats to use nuclear weapons if NATO resisted, could fracture the West.—
KORI SCHAKE,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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Relations between cities and counties can certainly fracture.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Verb
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In Gabès, a coastal oasis suffocated by a chemical complex, a fishing family is torn between survival and escape.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
24 June 2025
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And yes, this means that even a T. rex could have been more inclined to saunter around and maybe jog, rather than tearing across the land at top speeds of 27-29 km/h (17-18 mph).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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The Seagull The season’s starriest show is Chekhov’s rending play about art, love and loss in a new version from Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier, with Ostermeier directing.—
Matt Wolf,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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