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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wide
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaping
Nina McLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
Newsom won with 80 percent of the vote in Alameda County in 2018; two years later President Biden and Vice President Harris won the county by an equally gaping margin.
—Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2021
For people who lost their mothers to COVID-19, this Mother's Day is a reminder of a freshly gaping void.
—Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 7 May 2021
Then again, no one knew Dallas would lose four key players to the coronavirus for the better part of three weeks, the most gaping puncture wound that caused bloody January.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 31 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Verb
There is a gaping sense of hunger, particularly in a story of a love between two women, one with a crescent moon tattoo on her chest.
—Nina McLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
Newsom won with 80 percent of the vote in Alameda County in 2018; two years later President Biden and Vice President Harris won the county by an equally gaping margin.
—Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2021
For people who lost their mothers to COVID-19, this Mother's Day is a reminder of a freshly gaping void.
—Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 7 May 2021
Then again, no one knew Dallas would lose four key players to the coronavirus for the better part of three weeks, the most gaping puncture wound that caused bloody January.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 31 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gaping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaping
Adjective
-
Brian Cashman is casting a wide net to try and bring someone in, but the Bronx Bombers are running out of time.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
As for the chair itself, the deep, wide seat is comfortable enough to sit in for hours.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
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The nation has also a yawning fiscal deficit, a trade deficit of $43 billion, plus a daunting $45 billion debt to the International Monetary Fund, with $10.6 billion due to the multilateral and private creditors by April.—
Débora Rey,
The Christian Science Monitor,
13 Dec. 2023
Adjective
-
Even with the help of the train, rescuers hiked a mile along an exposed ridgeline above 5,000 feet, encountering high winds and freezing temperatures, to reach Wilson.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside Online,
24 June 2025
-
Iran would likely retaliate against U.S. troops stationed at exposed and vulnerable bases in Iraq and Syria.—
Reid Smith,
Foreign Affairs,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaping. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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