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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rift
Rachel Raposas, People.com, 10 June 2025
The actor was allegedly dating Cyrus’ sister and Tish’s daughter, Noah, prior to his relationship with Tish, resulting in a rift between Noah and Tish, People reported at the time.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
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
Riley and Ariana, who grew up on RHOA together until their parents' rift separated them, will both star in Next Gen NYC.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 10 June 2025
The actor was allegedly dating Cyrus’ sister and Tish’s daughter, Noah, prior to his relationship with Tish, resulting in a rift between Noah and Tish, People reported at the time.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
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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The holiday came amid a rift distancing the King, 76, from his younger son, the Duke of Sussex, in a fissure that won't seem to heal.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
15 June 2025
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The fissures are there for anyone who dares see them.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
2 June 2025
Noun
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So that would be my biggest concern, is whether or not that financial gap between those that can afford it and those that can’t creates way too many haves and way too many have-nots.—
Mitch Light,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
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Your People Strategy Is A Core Strategy Labor gaps remain a real constraint, especially in skilled trades and tech-adjacent roles.—
Eddy Azad,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Verb
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The untreated ectopic pregnancy resulted in one of her fallopian tubes rupturing.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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She was rushed to surgery days later after the tube ruptured.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The device includes attachments such as a dust brush and a crevice tool, meaning it can be used for cleaning upholstery and stairs, along with getting into nooks and crannies.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
13 June 2025
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Plus, there’s a crevice tool and smaller hair screw tool attachments that can be used as a handheld vac to get pet hair in hard-to-reach places.—
Nena Farrell,
Wired News,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Despite his success, DeBoer’s tenure in Dallas will now be best remembered for his snap decision to pull starting goaltender Jake Oettinger after the Stars fell into an early 2-0 hole in their elimination game against Edmonton last week.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Three holes were drilled in his skull to reduce the pressure on his brain (those holes were later filled with titanium plugs).—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The three deputies then rushed forwards and Polk pinned Caputo to the wall, at which point Caputo scratched her and bit her thumb, fracturing her bones, Polk said, according to the report, which also includes pictures of her injuries.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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Further examination of the engines found that one fan blade platform was fractured, according to the report.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Sharpen Mower Blades Avoid ripping or tearing new sod by keeping the mower blades sharp.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2025
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Give the hydrangea blooms a generous coating of hairspray, spritzing a few inches away in order not to disturb or tear the individual petals.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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The Seagull The season’s starriest show is Chekhov’s rending play about art, love and loss in a new version from Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier, with Ostermeier directing.—
Matt Wolf,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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