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
-
Either way, this is launching into early access this July, so it won't be entirely finished or get a wider release just yet, but if Grounded is anything to go by it should be pretty good from the get-go either way.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
The other fall and winter quarters are open to a wider range of SCAD courses including architecture, art history, fashion and fibers.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
30 June 2025
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
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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
-
Enjoy 360-degree airflow that gently surrounds your neck — no exposed blades, just cool comfort from every angle.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
28 June 2025
-
In exposed areas, the plants may need some staking.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaping. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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