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
Nina McLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
Newsom won with 80 percent of the vote in Alameda County in 2018; two years later President Biden and Vice President Harris won the county by an equally gaping margin.
—Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2021
For people who lost their mothers to COVID-19, this Mother's Day is a reminder of a freshly gaping void.
—Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 7 May 2021
Then again, no one knew Dallas would lose four key players to the coronavirus for the better part of three weeks, the most gaping puncture wound that caused bloody January.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 31 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Verb
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
Newsom won with 80 percent of the vote in Alameda County in 2018; two years later President Biden and Vice President Harris won the county by an equally gaping margin.
—Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2021
For people who lost their mothers to COVID-19, this Mother's Day is a reminder of a freshly gaping void.
—Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 7 May 2021
Then again, no one knew Dallas would lose four key players to the coronavirus for the better part of three weeks, the most gaping puncture wound that caused bloody January.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 31 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaping
Adjective
-
The England international, who is capable of playing at No 10 or wide, has made 167 appearances and scored 40 goals for the south London club.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
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Born on October 14, 1946, in New York City, Sloan built an impressive resume with early assignments as a writer and producer on a wide range of TV dramas.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
17 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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The nation has also a yawning fiscal deficit, a trade deficit of $43 billion, plus a daunting $45 billion debt to the International Monetary Fund, with $10.6 billion due to the multilateral and private creditors by April.—
Débora Rey,
The Christian Science Monitor,
13 Dec. 2023
Adjective
-
The formal living room sports soaring ceilings lined with exposed beams, while the more casual family room is surrounded by walls of windows and topped with a skylight for even more natural light.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
17 July 2025
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Yet, the bill pares back support for wind and solar projects that typically complement gas plants—potentially leaving the grid more exposed, not less.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaping. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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