1
a
: a break in a barrier (such as a wall, hedge, or line of military defense)
b
: an assailable position
2
a
: a mountain pass
b
: ravine
3
4
a
: a separation in space
b
: an incomplete or deficient area
a gap in her knowledge
5
: a break in continuity : hiatus
6
: a break in the vascular cylinder of a plant where a vascular trace departs from the central cylinder
7
: lack of balance : disparity
the gap between imports and exports
8
: a wide difference in character or attitude
the generation gap
9
: a problem caused by some disparity
a communication gap
credibility gap
gapped; gapping
1
: to make an opening in
2
: to adjust the space between the electrodes of (a spark plug)
: to fall or stand open
Synonyms
Examples of gap in a Sentence
Noun
The child had a gap between her two front teeth.
The gap between the lead runner and the rest of the field continued to widen.
The sheep got through a gap in the fence.
There are unexplained gaps in his story.
The class filled in the gaps in my knowledge of biology.
She had taken several years off to raise a family, so there was a large gap in her work history.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Millennials are stepping into leadership, Boomers remain invaluable mentors, Gen X continues to bridge gaps, and Gen Z is already influencing cultural shifts.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Just tried to manage my gap to Casey [Johnson] there, try to gap him a little bit and then just manage it for a late-race caution.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gap 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
As burnout has shown to affect women disproportionately to men, Kathy McCabe bridges a growing gap between productivity and overall employee satisfaction.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Millennials are stepping into leadership, Boomers remain invaluable mentors, Gen X continues to bridge gaps, and Gen Z is already influencing cultural shifts.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
Furthermore, the stock is perched below resistance and can easily gap up to new highs if earnings are strong.
—Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Just tried to manage my gap to Casey [Johnson] there, try to gap him a little bit and then just manage it for a late-race caution.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gap
Dictionary Entries Near gap
Cite this Entry
“Gap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
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