Synonyms of cleft

cleft

noun

ˈkleft 

as in fissure

an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure

my fishing line managed to get wedged in a cleft in the rocks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fissure
• crevice
• rift
• crack
• split
• gap
• cranny
• fracture
• chink
• check
• slit
• crevasse
• rupture
• opening
• incision
• breach
• hairline
• gash
• craze
• cut

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cleft

Reaching the beach requires descending a narrow ladder through a cleft in the rock, making the arrival nearly as memorable as the snorkeling itself. — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026

From his flat top, cleft chin, starched collar, and tight shirt to the crease in his trousers tucked into black boots. — Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026

Along with the Antwerp Six, Martin Margiela put the small Belgian city of Antwerp on the international fashion radar, founding his house in 1988 and introducing cleft-toed boots, deconstructed clothes and all-white stores to the fashion lexicon. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026

Apparently growing out of the cleft between her breasts was a large mauve orchid. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025