as in staring
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
she suddenly realized she had been gaping at the good-looking waiter instead of giving him her order
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wide
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaping
Erika Edwards, NBC News, 11 July 2023
There is a gaping sense of hunger, particularly in a story of a love between two women, one with a crescent moon tattoo on her chest.
—Nina McLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The authors believe that artificial intelligence can fill a gaping need in the world of medicine.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Verb
While fentanyl can easily cause a deadly overdose, the addition of xylazine further slows breathing and can result in painful, gaping and disfiguring wounds on the user's body.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 11 July 2023
There is a gaping sense of hunger, particularly in a story of a love between two women, one with a crescent moon tattoo on her chest.
—Nina McLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Part of a multibillion-dollar investment in Jeep, the 2026 Cherokee is the overdue replacement for a core vehicle that went out of production in 2023, opening a gaping wound in Jeep’s lineup and finances.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The authors believe that artificial intelligence can fill a gaping need in the world of medicine.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaping
Verb
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The Irish are 0-1 and staring at an idle weekend with plenty to work on after a 27-24 loss in Miami on the Sunday night of Week 1.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
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But after weeks of staring at bare ground, a few green shoots pushed through the dark silt.—
Lila Hempel-Edgers,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fortunately, Amazon just dropped new fall fashion items that are comfy and packable, including wide-leg jeans for travel, cardigan sweaters, and more.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
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Developed by AeroVironment, the 20kW LOCUST Laser Weapon System (LWS) identifies, tracks, and engages a wide variety of targets with hard-kill high energy laser.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Nunn has a divided audience, as the Baddies show is fueled with drama, with Jerry Springer style fights to keep viewers gawking.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Yet the shooting also divided the American public in ways that many found disturbing, including a yawning lack of empathy for the victim and even cheering for the shooter.—
Patrik Jonsson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Dec. 2024
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In Palm Beach County, Ian's yawning reach spun up four tornadoes.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2023
Verb
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Jämsén sees this series as being about gazing at the water, rather than being glued to a large screen or cocktail bar inside.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
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The self-reflexive qualities of the work go further, and the film can surely be read as a statement about the limits and possibilities of a totally analogue and backwards-gazing practice.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And in the height of summer, with an extra air conditioner pumping in the corner, the heat from the semi-exposed kitchen can make the dining room feel slightly steamy.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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There’s a good amount of pedaling and a few exposed, high-stakes areas.—
Shauna Farnell,
Denver Post,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaping. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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