as in wide
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as in staring
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
she suddenly realized she had been gaping at the good-looking waiter instead of giving him her order
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaping
Vogue, 19 July 2024
And that is just a gaping fundamental hole with the entire structure.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 30 June 2024
Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The footage shows the fish start to swim faster and more erratically when a large whale suddenly breaks through the school of fish with its gaping maw.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Adjective
If the absence of Succession has left a dark and gaping hole in your heart, formerly filled by the epic, desperate machinations of the one-percent: tune in.
—Vogue, 19 July 2024
And that is just a gaping fundamental hole with the entire structure.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 30 June 2024
Verb
Partly in response to losing the Tower Theater and other venues closing down, Colom launched a project called CineMovil, a mobile cinema that stops in different neighborhoods in order to try to fill the gaping hole left by the theater’s closure.
—Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The footage shows the fish start to swim faster and more erratically when a large whale suddenly breaks through the school of fish with its gaping maw.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaping
Adjective
-
If successful, the technology is slated for wider adoption across multiple EV lines, signaling a potential shift away from lithium-dependent batteries.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
It is expected to connect Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, which are separated by a 20-mile-wide patch of Armenian territory.—
MICHELLE L. PRICE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Ali Ansari was 12, living with his family in a single room at his aunt’s house in Woodland Hills, his immigrant mother told him to stop wasting time staring at his phone and try making money with it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Shortly thereafter, the two women heard a loud bang and exited the bedroom to find Toth lying on the kitchen floor and staring blankly at the ceiling, the report said.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As such, anticipated spending cuts have not materialized and British Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announced tax hikes in her next Autumn Budget to fill a yawning fiscal hole that could be as much as £50 billion ($67.2 billion), although estimates vary.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Yet the shooting also divided the American public in ways that many found disturbing, including a yawning lack of empathy for the victim and even cheering for the shooter.—
Patrik Jonsson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
If gawking at celebrities is your thing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Here, astronomers are gawking at a radio signal that appears crudely on the screen like a crooked game of Pong but turns out to be a line of data repeated every 78 seconds from 600 light-years away.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Chinese delayed their retaliation for a while and then, very cunningly, took disproportionate revenge on Canada, recognizing Canada as the weaker link, who got less from the tariffs and were more exposed.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Many people may feel more exposed, vulnerable, or emotionally raw, precisely because an essential need needs to be recognized.—
Marie Bladt,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Getting rocked to sleep in a comfortable bed while gazing out the window is not to be missed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In the Kardashian-Jenner version, Jenner, in a plunging black dress, played the part of Loren, gazing over at Kardashian who smiled at the camera in a blonde wig and plunging white silk dress.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaping. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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