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
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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
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Recent Examples of rifts
Ahmed Al-Haj, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
The radio tower group climbs up through one of the rifts and finds themselves on Vecna’s chaos planet.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
The story follows an all-new custom character — an Earth Directorate agent — tasked with uncovering what's causing destructive rifts that are spreading across the galaxy.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Outside of his lair, the world looks barren and deserted, save for a few glowing red rifts in the ground where the world is connected to the Upside Down.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
More than a dozen employees at the Heritage Foundation left their posts over the weekend amid widening ideological rifts within the conservative movement and escalating internal tensions at the influential think tank.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 22 Dec. 2025
Such a move will cause real rifts within the party.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
The European Union is also likely to take a strong role, though internal rifts have emerged within the EU regarding how aggressively to cut its own emissions.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Stranger Things season 5 will pick up the story in the fall of 1987 at a time when the military has placed the entire town of Hawkins under military quarantine over the rifts that emerged.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
The airstrikes expose deepening rifts between Saudi Arabia and its former ally, as both compete for control and influence in Yemen’s civil war.
—Ahmed Al-Haj, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
The radio tower group climbs up through one of the rifts and finds themselves on Vecna’s chaos planet.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
The story follows an all-new custom character — an Earth Directorate agent — tasked with uncovering what's causing destructive rifts that are spreading across the galaxy.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Outside of his lair, the world looks barren and deserted, save for a few glowing red rifts in the ground where the world is connected to the Upside Down.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
More than a dozen employees at the Heritage Foundation left their posts over the weekend amid widening ideological rifts within the conservative movement and escalating internal tensions at the influential think tank.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 22 Dec. 2025
Such a move will cause real rifts within the party.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
The European Union is also likely to take a strong role, though internal rifts have emerged within the EU regarding how aggressively to cut its own emissions.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Stranger Things season 5 will pick up the story in the fall of 1987 at a time when the military has placed the entire town of Hawkins under military quarantine over the rifts that emerged.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifts
Noun
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As his family tries to settle into their new neighborhood, Jin’s plot creates fissures between him and his wife and daughters, as well as their white, liberal neighbor.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Some of the creatures seen at the Freya mounds are also found at hydrothermal vents, or fissures in the seafloor through which hot, chemical-laden water erupts, the researchers said, suggesting these ecosystems may be more intertwined than previously thought.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
25 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For some of the victims’ families, the interviews clarified how and why the crimes unfolded, filling in gaps that police files and court records never fully answered after years of unresolved questions.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
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The gas can seep into homes through cracks in foundations or basement floors; gaps around pipes, cables, or utility lines; construction joints where walls and floors meet; and crawlspaces or dirt floors, the county said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These pressures could produce a tsunami that fractures the state’s fiscal foundation, self-inflicts a crisis ultimately demanding drastic cuts, and cripples its competitiveness.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
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The film’s emotional mirror — separation, misunderstanding, and the slow violence of misrepresentation — fractures its political one.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Pay extra attention to seams and crevices.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
29 Dec. 2025
-
The best way to thwart this is to check around your property for potential sheltering spots and to seal holes and crevices with wood, hardware cloth, or another sturdy material.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Officers saw multiple bullet holes on the metal fence dividing the properties and shell casings in his backyard, the affidavit said.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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Add a pass rusher with the first pick, a receiver in Round 2 and then spend heavily on patching holes in free agency.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the plaque within one of the coronary arteries suddenly ruptures, a blood clot forms on its surface.—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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These bags keep the items from experiencing friction that tears at the fibers.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Heupel spreads out his receivers in an attempt to spread out the defense, then gashes them with the run.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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The pictures show scars and gashes around the dog's snout.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifts. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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