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
: lack of balance : disparity
the gap between imports and exports
7
: a wide difference in character or attitude
the generation gap
8
: 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
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
Bryan West,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
By the end of the match, the vast gap in the teams’ rankings had been reduced to only one goal.
—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
4 July 2026
Josh Brown,sean Russo,
CNBC,
18 June 2026
Are digital accessibility gaps a perpetual drag on demand or a growth opportunity?
—
Abidemi Adisa,
Harvard Business Review,
5 June 2026
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
Actress Mariska Hargitay, who joined Swift courtside at Madison Square Garden during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, appears to have one notable gap in her Broadway schedule.
—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
By the end of the match, the vast gap in the teams’ rankings had been reduced to only one goal.
—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
4 July 2026
Verb
And then the May 7 earnings happened, when the stock gapped sharply higher and ran from the high $200s to a fresh high near $400 within a matter of sessions.
—
Josh Brown,sean Russo,
CNBC,
18 June 2026
Are digital accessibility gaps a perpetual drag on demand or a growth opportunity?
—
Abidemi Adisa,
Harvard Business Review,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for gap
Cite this Entry
“Gap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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