cleft palate

noun

: congenital fissure of the roof of the mouth

Examples of cleft palate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
He was born with a cleft palate and underwent several operations to address the condition. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 Denver is coming off a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, but the game was about as pretty as a cleft palate. Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025 He’s also funded 2,000 prosthetics, 100 cleft palate repairs, and 600 e-bikes for people in need. Preston Fore, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2025 Two-month-old Onyxx Cooley was born with a cleft palate but apparently otherwise healthy. Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cleft palate

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cleft palate was in 1847

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Cite this Entry

“Cleft palate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleft%20palate. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

cleft palate

noun
: a split in the roof of the mouth that occurs as a birth defect

Medical Definition

cleft palate

noun
: congenital fissure of the roof of the mouth produced by failure of the two maxillae to unite during embryonic development and often associated with cleft lip

called also palatoschisis

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