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
François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
French authorities have acknowledged major gaps in the Louvre’s security, with unions blaming staff cuts and funding shortfalls.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
The balloon gaps in this region are well-known to the NWS and might also affect forecasts in the Lower 48 states.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gap
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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
For organizations struggling with the classic challenges of cross-functional collaboration—territorial disputes, communication gaps, and suboptimal compromises—AI offers a pathway to genuine integration.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
French authorities have acknowledged major gaps in the Louvre’s security, with unions blaming staff cuts and funding shortfalls.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Data gaps The NOAA data was a popular tool for the agency and has been critical in helping communicate the economic cost of natural disasters.
—Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
The balloon gaps in this region are well-known to the NWS and might also affect forecasts in the Lower 48 states.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gap
Cite this Entry
“Gap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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