gap

1 of 2

noun

ˈgap 

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

: spark gap

4

a

: a separation in space

b

: an incomplete or deficient area

a gap in her knowledge

5

: a break in continuity : hiatus

6

: lack of balance : disparity

the gap between imports and exports

7

: a wide difference in character or attitude

the generation gap

8

: a problem caused by some disparity

a communication gap

credibility gap

gappy

ˈga-pē 

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

Synonyms of gap

Noun

• hole
• crevice
• opening
• rift
• interval
• void

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

Noun

Connected information can help close that gap by allowing organizations to identify patterns and engage customers before an issue becomes a larger business problem. — Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

His Emmy win last week for guest acting on The Bear set the record for longest gap between acting Emmy victories at 48 years. — Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Verb

Partner with managers to identify emerging skill gaps quarterly. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Josh — Apple gapped down hard earlier this summer, leaving an air pocket that took the stock all the way from the $320s down to the $300 area. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing gap

• bridge the gap
• close the gap
• credibility gap
• gap junction
• gap-toothed
• gap year
• generation gap
• spark gap
• trade gap
• water gap
• wind gap

Rhymes for gap

• app
• cap
• chap
• clap
• crap
• flap
• frap
• hap
• lap
• nap
• nappe
• pap

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

ˈgap 

: a break in continuity especially of structure : hiatus