missing link

[mis-ing lingk] / ˈmɪs ɪŋ ˈlɪŋk /

NOUN

lost connection

Synonyms

WEAK

broken thread omission prehuman protohuman

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Zambian segment of the Lobito Corridor -- often described as the missing link -- is not on LAR's near-term agenda, he added, citing the scale and cost of rehabilitating the rail infrastructure.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Dulles came to believe that religion, specifically an ecumenical Protestantism aiming to promote cooperation among different sects, was the missing link that could provide a moral architecture for the global system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

"I lost all my confidence after my diagnosis and treatment, so to bring the three of us together again to complete the missing link in our journey has been such a healing process," she said.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

"Understanding human exposure to these chemicals may help explain a missing link in how some neurological diseases arise."

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

That thought gives me the missing link in the chain of thought I was trying to find.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth