bridge the gap

verb

To serve as or create a connection between disconnected or disparate things.

Meanings

verbbridge the gap (third-person singular simple present bridges the gap, present participle bridging the gap, simple past and past participle bridged the gap)

present singular third person bridges the gap · participle present bridging the gap · participle past bridged the gap · past bridged the gap

  1. idiomaticTo serve as or create a connection between disconnected or disparate things.

    GWR ran trains between Salisbury and Cardiff Central, and between Romsey and Portsmouth Harbour, with buses bridging the gap.

    2021 November 17, “Network News: Recovering the derailed carriages”, in RAIL, number 944, page 8
    4 more examples

    Today there is no doubt that Dominican women have been actively involved in building the community, in struggling to keep their cultural heritage alive, and in keeping families together by bridging the gap between Dominicans from the homeland and those who live in the United States.

    2011, Ronald H. Bayor, editor, Multicultural America: An Encyclopedia of the Newest Americans, Greenwood, →ISBN, page 505

    It is argued that the precautionary principle provides an important mechanism for bridging the gap between public and private sectors in their approach to financial harm.

    2011, John F. McEldowney, “Managing financial risk: the precautionary principle and protecting the public interest in the UK”, in John Raymond LaBrosse, Rodrigo Olivares-Caminal, Dalvinder Singh, editors, Managing Risk in the Financial System, Edward Elgar Publishing, →ISBN, page 450

    The Bantams bridged the gap between the bottom division of English league football and the Premier League to secure a place at Wembley, despite a 2-1 second-leg defeat.

    2013 January 22, Phil McNulty, “Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4)”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2022

    The order would help to bridge the gap at the now empty factory, which delivered its last train on March 21, before the start of work on HS2 trains which Transport Secretary Mark Harper said will be in "early 2026".

    2024 May 1, Mel Holley, “Network News: Elizabeth line '345s' offer a lifeline for Derby Works”, in RAIL, number 1008, page 8

Translations

Arabic ردم الهوة
  • ردم الهوةto serve as or create a connection
Finnish yhdistää
  • yhdistääto serve as or create a connection
French faire la soudure
  • faire la soudureto serve as or create a connection
Russian сократить разрыв
  • сократить разрыв (sokratitʹ razryv)to serve as or create a connection
Cite this entry
APA

bridge the gap. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bridge%20the%20gap

MLA

“bridge the gap.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bridge%20the%20gap. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bridge the gap,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bridge%20the%20gap.

Source: bridge the gap on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.