rift 1 of 2

Definition of riftnext

rift

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rift
Noun
The vent session was part of a larger rift with congressional Republicans over his second-term priorities. David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 25 June 2026 But there were no swipes, obvious or subtle, at an ECB hierarchy he has been said to be at war with and there was a firm denial of a rift with McCullum, echoing the sentiments expressed by the England coach on Tuesday. Paul Newman, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Verb
There are other tectonic settings on Earth where continents rift apart and eventually form new oceans — such as the East African Rift, which is in the process of splitting into two tectonic plates — but the San Andreas system is not one of them. Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 13 June 2026 How will rift with Cunningham affect 2026 session? Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift
Noun
  • The fissure was visible before the war.
    Clay Chandler, semafor.com, 19 June 2026
  • So, too, does the idea that a soccer coach could close fissures that even the well-meaning among career politicians have failed to seal.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
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
  • In 1857, the southern stretch of the San Andreas fault ruptured, resulting in the Fort Tejon earthquake, one of the largest in the state's history.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 June 2026
  • One fault rupturing could prompt a nearby fault — almost already to rupture — to go off in a quake.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • Cleaning every inch of a car interior is a daunting task, with dirt somehow making its way into every crevice between cupholders and seatbelts.
    Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026
  • In the footage, the sound of barking can be heard coming from a dark crevice in the rubble.
    Stephen Smith, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • The crash also resulted in a large hole in the side of the vessel.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • The piece has seven holes for customization, and it’s designed to be worn at the hips or waist.
    Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • The latest bout of internal military struggle, which started in 2023, fracturing along every possible fault line—religious, ethnic, political, tribal, and international—has created what the United Nations is calling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
    Janine di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026
  • Their relationships with their bankers had been fractured as had their contracts with talent.
    Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Shakespeare’s haughty Roman war hero, revered on the battlefield yet reviled by hungry plebeians, becomes the flash point in a young democracy tearing itself apart over power and sacrifice.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • That tactic may situate this work within a lineage that includes Jacques Villeglé and Mimmo Rotella, artists who used swiped, torn ads during the postwar era.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • The German priest’s criticisms of the Catholic Church sparked the Protestant Reformation, rending Christianity in two.
    Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
  • The excellent Julian Quinones’ early goal settled any nerves and then came the emotive, heart-rending second from talisman Raul Jimenez in the second half.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on rift

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster