gap
Plural
gaps
1
a narrow opening
Synonyms:
2
a difference, particularly an unwanted one, causing separation between two people, situations, or opinions
- The gap in understanding between the two generations often leads to disagreements.
- Their political differences created a gap in their once-close friendship.
- Efforts were made to bridge the gap between management and employees through open communication.
- The cultural gap between the tourists and the locals sometimes led to misunderstandings.
- The gap in expectations between the teacher and her students resulted in frustration on both sides.
3
a clear difference between two amounts, numbers, or groups
- The gap in salaries between the two departments led to dissatisfaction among employees.
- There is a noticeable gap in test scores between urban and rural schools.
- The report highlights the gap between the company's profits and its expenditures.
- The technology gap between generations has grown wider in recent years.
- Efforts were made to reduce the gap in opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Synonyms:
4
an empty space between two things or within something
- The wind rushed through the gap in the old wooden fence.
- She jumped across the narrow gap between the two buildings.
- A tiny gap in the door allowed the light to shine through.
- The explorers squeezed through the gap in the rocks to reach the cave.
- He noticed a gap in the bookshelf where a book was missing.
Synonyms:
5
a pause or break that interrupts something from continuing smoothly
- The meeting included a brief gap to allow everyone to take a coffee break.
- The speaker's long gap between sentences made the audience feel uneasy.
- Technical issues caused a gap in the broadcast, leaving viewers confused.
- The storm forced a gap in construction work, delaying the project by weeks.
- The teacher apologized for the gap in lessons caused by her unexpected absence.
Synonyms:
6
a pass between mountain peaks
Synonyms:
7
an empty or unpronounced position within a sentence or phrase, typically representing a missing word or element that is implied or understood from the context
In linguistics, a gap refers to the absence of a word or phrase that is expected in a sentence, usually because it has been omitted for clarity or efficiency. Gaps often occur in constructions like gapping, where repeated elements are left out, or in relative clauses, where the missing element is understood from the context. For example, in the sentence "I want to go hiking, and she does too," there is a gap after "does" where the phrase "want to go hiking" would typically be expected. Understanding gaps is important for analyzing sentence structure and how meaning is conveyed in language without unnecessary repetition.
- In the sentence "She ___ to the store," the gap could be filled with "went."
- The grammar exercise required students to fill in each gap with the correct verb.
8
an opportunity for a product or service that is not currently available
- The company saw a gap in the market for eco-friendly packaging.
- She noticed a gap in the tech industry for user-friendly devices.
- They noticed a gap in the food industry for healthy, quick meals.
- She identified a gap in customer service and created a solution.
- There is a gap for a new app that helps people track their habits.