1
as in fissures
an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure
a small rift opened in the earth's crust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in gaps
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifts
Noun
-
Over eons, water dissolved the calcium carbonate, etching deep fissures and caverns into the stone.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025 -
Instead of treating China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia as an inexorable bloc, the United States and its allies should work to loosen their ties by exploiting the fissures that the war in Ukraine has concealed.—
Christopher S. Chivvis,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The White House aims for a truce agreement by April 20, which this year is Easter in both the Western and Orthodox churches, but recognizes that timeline may slip given the large gaps between the positions of the two sides, according to people familiar with the planning.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Murray only turned the ball over once and was a thorn in Houston’s side all night, exposing gaps in coverages and leveraging the Rockets’ aggression against them.—
Kelly Iko,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Chickadees, nuthatches, and others are able to locate and eat dormant and larval insects by carefully inspecting crevices and cracks in tree bark.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
15 Dec. 2024
-
In fact, according to our experts, failing to take some time to walk around you and thoroughly inspect crevices for gaps or cracks in your home can cause major problems for you comfort-wise and wallet-wise this winter season.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
But the major bowl games allow locker room access, which pulls back the curtain (literally) on what a team is really like when no one is watching.—
Pete Sampson,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
At the end of each show, members from the audience get to sit in a big red chair and try to tell an anecdote before Norton, or a guest, pulls a lever that flips them backward.—
Anna Russell,
The New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Rifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifts. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share