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2
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
it was possible to peek through the rift in the fence and see the ball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to rupture
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rift
Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Rumors of a rift between Swift and the Tellers have circulated online for months.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 2 June 2026
Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
The police, unsurprisingly, started to fire tear gas canisters again, trying to rift and wedge the fleeing protesters.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 28 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rift
Noun
Before Brown's departure from the Eagles, rumors of a rift between him and quarterback Jalen Hurts began to swirl after Hurts was noticeably absent from Brown's wedding on May 18.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Rumors of a rift between Swift and the Tellers have circulated online for months.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 2 June 2026
Verb
However, the supercontinent began to rift and splinter in the late Triassic about 230 million years ago.
—Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
The police, unsurprisingly, started to fire tear gas canisters again, trying to rift and wedge the fleeing protesters.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 28 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift
Noun
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Some of these fissures are healing, but the relationship between Wilson and the organization, including key former teammates, is not helping his candidacy.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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Seismic images of mid-ocean ridges typically show rough and jagged terrain, formed when lava oozes up into the cold ocean along faults or fissures and hardens suddenly into stone.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Also visit Devil’s Gulch within the park to learn about the legend of outlaw Jesse James, who allegedly jumped an 18-foot gap on horseback after a botched bank robbery in 1876.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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And on Tuesday, the gap was even wider, and the entire surface was beginning to droop toward the ocean.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, a necropsy performed on Echo determined that the timber wolf died of natural causes due to a mass that ruptured on her spleen, Emerick said.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
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Woods also underwent his seventh back surgery last fall and had previously ruptured his Achilles tendon one year ago.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
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From search-and-rescue drones navigating tight rock crevices to flexible medical devices implanted in moving joints, the potential applications are vast.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
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They can also be found around sprinkler systems, inside pavement crevices, and in mulch.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
24 May 2026
Noun
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Fox hit big shots late as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole, which no NBA team has escaped.—
Brian Mahoney,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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Whenever your outfit feels a little plain, these goodies will inject some welcome personality—all without blowing a hole in your budget.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Deficient Humility manifests as arrogance, which can fracture teams and alienate fans.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Over one tense weekend, old patterns and buried wounds surface in front of in-laws and guests, until the celebration fractures into a collision.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Reuniting the Weapons producing duo of Zach Cregger and Roy Lee, Little One watches as a sudden change in a child’s behavior threatens to tear a picture-perfect family apart.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
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Another incident occurred in March 2025 when two teenage girls were allegedly assaulted by fellow students at a middle school in Waterbury and had their hijabs torn off.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Verb
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By that point however, Reeves says Smith’s vice had become truly life-rending.—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
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More notable still, perhaps, is the fact that calling for the release of the Epstein files has seemed to cut across the myriad divisions rending the Democratic Party.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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