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
Nina Bambysheva, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
And yet, for the first time since that gap began to open, Notre Dame has an honest chance to go all the way.
—Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
After gapping higher into a new all-time high in March 2024, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS) settled into a rangebound phase into the end of the year.
—David Keller, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gap 
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.
Noun
The Alpha Fund is geared toward investors seeking higher returns through more complex strategies, such as basis trading (exploiting pricing gaps between spot and futures markets) and derivatives trades.
—Nina Bambysheva, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
And yet, for the first time since that gap began to open, Notre Dame has an honest chance to go all the way.
—Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
The streaming stock gapped 9.7% higher on Jan. 22, in the wake of an outstanding earnings report that saw the company post a top-line beat for the fourth quarter and topple 300 million subscribers.
—Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
After gapping higher into a new all-time high in March 2024, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS) settled into a rangebound phase into the end of the year.
—David Keller, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025
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 28 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share