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as in gap
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
as in to rupture
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rift
Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
Adam also alludes to his strained relationship with his own parents, a rift that didn’t start with his coming out, but was widened by that revelation.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
The police, unsurprisingly, started to fire tear gas canisters again, trying to rift and wedge the fleeing protesters.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 28 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rift
Noun
In the city, reactions are more mixed within the Arab elite class, causing a rift between the business community and the intellectuals.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
Adam also alludes to his strained relationship with his own parents, a rift that didn’t start with his coming out, but was widened by that revelation.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
However, the supercontinent began to rift and splinter in the late Triassic about 230 million years ago.
—Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
The police, unsurprisingly, started to fire tear gas canisters again, trying to rift and wedge the fleeing protesters.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 28 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift
Noun
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Upon cracking, the perlite beads purposely shattered, releasing nutrients and spores into the fissure.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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Miles and Ed are coming at the challenges of Mars-Earth relations and Marsie autonomy from totally different angles, and there are clearly fissures within SDM itself.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The gender gap narrowed slightly in recent years but widened again in 2025, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Another admitted to brushing crumbs into the gap between the stove and counter as a child—only to be caught and made to pull the appliance out and deep-clean the entire area.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 15-time major champion has struggled to compete of late, especially after rupturing his Achilles at his home last March and undergoing a lumbar disc replacement last October.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Indianapolis began 8-2 before a litany of injuries, most notably quarterback Daniel Jones’ ruptured right Achilles tendon, derailed its promising campaign.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Or are there answers to find in its crevices?—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
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For a spruce-up dusting, use a brush with natural bristles to get into the crevices between the spines and on top of the books.—
Sunshine Flint,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just two weeks ago, Gary Woodland decided ot shared his struggles with post traumatic stress disorder, brought on after a September 2023 surgery, which involved a baseball-sized hole cut from the side of his head, to remove a brain lesion.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Canales admits the loss of Robinson leaves a hole in the defensive line rotation.—
Mike Kaye
March 30,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At a moment when our attention is fractured across phones, feeds, and tabs, the gap between occasional readers and obsessive ones has never felt wider.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
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But, instead of mixing water, sand, and chemical additives for this fracturing (as done in fracking), an EGS primarily uses just water for fracturing the hot rock, transporting heat to the surface for generating the electricity.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carefully peel away parchment from bottom of cake (start from a long side where it might be embedded in the cake and pull gently to avoid tearing the cake); discard.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Trump posted footage of the strike on Truth Social, in an uncaptioned video that shows explosions tearing through the night sky.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The emotional tribute paid homage to some of the most heart-rending high-profile deaths of the past year, including Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Rob Reiner, each of whom received their own dedicated homage.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
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Jean-Luc Godard used nonprofessionals to rend the dramatic fabric and expose the artifices of performance.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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