cleft

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

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cleft Many birth defects are treatable; orofacial clefts and some heart defects, for example, can be corrected with surgery. Almut Winterstein, The Conversation, 30 Jan. 2025 Valproic acid causes birth defects that can be detected in utero such as oral clefts or spina bifida. Almut Winterstein, The Conversation, 30 Jan. 2025 Now that she’s become well known not only for her art and fashion, but for being a cleft advocate, speaking around the country about her experience with a cleft lip and palate, Glasses has been traveling a lot for personal appearances, which leaves precious little time for weaving. Booth Moore, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024 This bacteria is commonly carried in the nostrils, between the legs, in the armpits, and in the cleft between the buttocks. Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for cleft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleft
Noun
  • These magma-spewing mounds are responsible for 80 percent of the country’s seismic activity, including glowing fissures that splinter the landscape for up to 2 miles.
    Robin Catalano, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The measures eventually passed after internal Democratic fissures led to enough representatives returning to form a quorum.
    Rachael Dziaba, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The roomy dustbin didn’t need constant emptying, and the crevice tool came in clutch for picking up crumbs between couch cushions and from the tight corners of car seats.
    Toni Sutton, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Aphonopelma Chiricahua: Named after the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, this large, black-bodied species dwells in crevices and rocky burrows.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 4 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cleft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleft. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

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