gap

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a break in a barrier (such as a wall, hedge, or line of military defense)
b
: an assailable position
2
a
: a mountain pass
b
: ravine
3
4
a
: a separation in space
b
: an incomplete or deficient area
a gap in her knowledge
5
: a break in continuity : hiatus
6
: a break in the vascular cylinder of a plant where a vascular trace departs from the central cylinder
7
: lack of balance : disparity
the gap between imports and exports
8
: a wide difference in character or attitude
the generation gap
9
: a problem caused by some disparity
a communication gap
credibility gap
gappy adjective

gap

2 of 2

verb

gapped; gapping

transitive verb

1
: to make an opening in
2
: to adjust the space between the electrodes of (a spark plug)

intransitive verb

: to fall or stand open

Examples of gap in a Sentence

Noun The child had a gap between her two front teeth. The gap between the lead runner and the rest of the field continued to widen. The sheep got through a gap in the fence. There are unexplained gaps in his story. The class filled in the gaps in my knowledge of biology. She had taken several years off to raise a family, so there was a large gap in her work history.
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.
Noun
In addition to his recent deep dive into the 2023 porch footage, Torre has also been behind several bombshells dropped about Hudson and Belichick, who have a 49-year age gap. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 23 May 2025 That leaves a yearlong gap between The Fantastic 4: First Steps and Brand New Day, the longest break in Marvel movies since COVID. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Verb
The stock is prone to big moves after reporting earnings and can easily gap up if the numbers are strong. Adam Sarhan, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 Furthermore, the stock is forming a bullish handle which could set the stage for higher prices if the stock gaps up after reporting earnings. Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for gap

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gap, gappe, borrowed from Old Norse gap "chasm, outcry," noun derivative of gapa "to gape entry 1"

Verb

derivative of gap entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1879, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gap was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

gap

noun
ˈgap
1
: a break in a barrier
2
a
: a mountain pass
b
: ravine
3
: a space or separation : a break in continuity
gaps in your story
a gap where the tooth had been
4
: a wide difference (as in amount, character, or attitude)
a wage gap

Medical Definition

gap

noun
: a break in continuity especially of structure : hiatus

More from Merriam-Webster on gap

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