gaping 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of gapingnext
as in wide

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Dissimilar Words

gaping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of gape
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 And that is just a gaping fundamental hole with the entire structure. — David Pogue, CBS News, 30 June 2024
Verb
His shirt is cut open during the video to reveal what appears to be a gaping gunshot wound in his back. — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 Later, the vehicle was removed and a gaping hole was visible in the Metro bus’ side, with wreckage strewn around the scene. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gaping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaping
  1. wide
  2. staring
  3. yawning
  4. gawking
  5. exposed
  6. gazing
Adjective
  • The company aims to develop a wider lineup of electric-propulsion ships suited to different operating conditions and customer requirements.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The best seats will be the cheapest There is a wide spread in the available prices for tickets to see U2 on their 2027 tour.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of wide
Verb
  • Before ChatGPT came on the scene, chipmakers were staring at a post-COVID chip glut.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Taken roughly two decades after her prison ordeal, the image reveals a still formidable figure, a woman unbroken by countless trials, staring straight into the camera’s lens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of staring
Adjective
  • 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
  • In Palm Beach County, Ian's yawning reach spun up four tornadoes.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2023
Definition of yawning
Verb
  • The film opens with Tenzing as a boy, gawking at Mount Everest, which looms across the valley like Godzilla.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • On most days the Jewel House in the Tower of London is packed with tourists gawking at the fabled British Crown Jewels.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of gawking
Adjective
  • The end result would be a gassy surface shining as brightly as a more exposed black hole but with the Balmer break and smooth red hump of a 5,000-kelvin star, de Graaff and Naidu theorized.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Morgan Stanley said Equinix and Digital Realty are less exposed because their facilities average roughly 5 to 10 megawatts, far below the gigawatt-scale AI campuses planned by hyperscalers and neocloud operators.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of exposed
Verb
  • Wasson detects a lingering resentment in the poor Sicilian kid gazing up at the idle rich.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Those who fall short have to be satisfied with simply gazing at the destination from the parking lot.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of gazing

Browse Nearby Words

gapes
gaping
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Cite this Entry

“Gaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaping. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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