Some scholars and political combatants believe a second contested election could open lasting fissures in American society.

The effort to seat a Justice also opened embarrassing fissures within the Reagan coalition.

Attitudes toward active participation in the war opened deep fissures in the movement which, at the extreme, were never healed.

But the war in Afghanistan has opened new fissures in the old debate over Malaysia's Islamic identity.

The ship's log contained information of an encounter with an advanced Federation technology capable of opening temporal fissures.

It could also open fissures between existing members that depend on exports and stand to suffer from a currency that rises too far, too fast.

Mr. Sharon's plan has also opened deep fissures within his own party, Likud.

Earth cracked, opening huge fissures that snaked beneath the castle.

The streets, the sidewalks, the lawns had buckled under the Slip, then cracked, opening huge fissures all around them.

The quakes caused the death of one boy, set off fires, emptied store shelves and opened huge fissures in mountain roads.