Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

gap noun

¹ space between things

ADJ. big, huge, large, wide | narrow, small | awkward an awkward gap between the bed and the door

VERB + GAP leave | fill, seal Seal the gaps around the windows with an exterior-quality sealant.

GAP + VERB appear, open up He flashed his headlights and jumped lanes whenever a gap opened up.

PREP. through a/the ~ A rabbit ran along the fence and darted through a gap. | ~ between Position the tiles, leaving a narrow gap between the edges. | ~ in A huge gap had appeared in the hedge.

² period of time

ADJ. awkward | long, short | time

VERB + GAP fill wondering how to fill an awkward gap in the conversation

GAP + NOUN year I'm planning to travel in my gap year (= the year between school and university).

PREP. after a/the ~ She returned to teaching after a twelve-year gap. | ~ between a job to fill the gap between school and university | ~ in a gap in his career

³ difference

ADJ. big, huge, large, significant, substantial, wide, yawning | unbridgeable the unbridgeable gap between the two cultures | growing, widening | narrow | age, generation Despite the age gap, romance blossomed. | cultural/culture | gender the gender gap in earnings | credibility Newspapers were talking of a credibility gap between what he said and what he did. | information, knowledge, skills the knowledge gap between doctor and patient | trade (= the gap between export and imports; used in journalism)

VERB + GAP bridge an attempt to bridge the gap between the academic world and industry

GAP + VERB widen | narrow | separate sb/sth He realized how narrow was the gap separating him from his pagan ancestors.

PREP. ~ between The gap between rich and poor widened.

⁴ where sth is missing

ADJ. big, enormous, great, huge, important, large, serious, significant, terrible, yawning serious gaps in their knowledge

VERB + GAP create, leave His death left a huge gap in my life. | identify | close, fill (in), plug Her appointment will fill the gap created when the marketing manager left.

PREP. ~ in legislation to close a gap in the law

PHRASES a gap in the market We think we've identified a gap in the market (= a business opportunity to make or sell sth that is not yet available).