as in wide
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaping
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
If the absence of Succession has left a dark and gaping hole in your heart, formerly filled by the epic, desperate machinations of the one-percent: tune in.
—Vogue, 19 July 2024
Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
The Soho location is one of the 11 REI shops that have unionized in the past few years, and its closure will leave a gaping hole in the market for the city’s gearheads looking to try on climbing shoes or find an ultralight tent for their next backpacking trip.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Adjective
Given that there is no witness to what happened, that leaves a very gaping hole in this investigation.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
If the absence of Succession has left a dark and gaping hole in your heart, formerly filled by the epic, desperate machinations of the one-percent: tune in.
—Vogue, 19 July 2024
Verb
This year, dozens of Bay Area school districts have announced layoffs, budget cuts or school closures in an effort to repair gaping budget deficits ranging from $6 million to over $100 million.
—Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
The Soho location is one of the 11 REI shops that have unionized in the past few years, and its closure will leave a gaping hole in the market for the city’s gearheads looking to try on climbing shoes or find an ultralight tent for their next backpacking trip.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaping
Adjective
-
The Sacramento Bee covered a wide range of news on June 11, from a critical city audit to a major land return for a Northern California tribe.—
Ruyuan Li. Summary produced by AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
-
Rooms All 53 rooms in the labyrinthine property are incredibly spacious with a wide variety of room configurations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Ten steps to his right, safety Bryan Cook sat on the floor, silent and still, shirt off, staring forward but toward nothing in particular.—
Sam McDowell
Updated December 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 Dec. 2025
-
In early October, a few weeks before the 2025 season tipped off, NBA commissioner Adam Silver found himself in a hallway inside NBC Sports’ facility in Stamford, Connecticut, staring at a makeshift wall of screens.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
As such, anticipated spending cuts have not materialized and British Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announced tax hikes in her next Autumn Budget to fill a yawning fiscal hole that could be as much as £50 billion ($67.2 billion), although estimates vary.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
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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
Verb
-
This seemingly reflexive action of whipping out their phones while gawking and filming isn’t a novel occurrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
Those are important characteristics for advertisers seeking to make dynamic campaigns for an audience that's grown accustomed to viewing short-form videos on Reels or gawking at cat photos on Facebook and Instagram.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Some lenders are more exposed than others.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
The objective is to reduce exposed equity within the entity in a lawful and structured manner.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Yoon’s wife is gazing at a small, framed photo on the cabinet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The star was photographed cozying up to Consuelos on the red carpet, laughing at their private conversation, and gazing at him.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaping. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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