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
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Recent Examples of cleft
But today, the most important political cleft is not the fading distinction between right and left, but the rising conflict between liberal and illiberal, democratic and autocratic.
—
David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 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
David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 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
-
Over the first three weeks, the 49ers somehow maintained their balance as cracks and fissures formed all over their lineup.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Rocks have tiny fissures into which water can seep; when the temperature drops, the water expands into ice, exerting pressure and widening the cracks.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Her voice, still more often than not, slides with ease into the cracks and crevices that kick drums and deep grooves open in neotraditional-style country compositions.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Sep. 2025
-
That’s because certain bacteria tend to cling to leaves and hide out in crevices.—
Danielle Zickl,
Health,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cleft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleft. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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