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
gapped; gapping
1
: to make an opening in
2
: to adjust the space between the electrodes of (a spark plug)
: 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
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
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
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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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
Cite this Entry
“Gap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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