missing link

noun

1
: an absent member needed to complete a series or resolve a problem
2
a
: a hypothetical intermediate evolutionary form between humans and their presumed simian progenitors
b
: a hypothetical intermediate evolutionary form between one animal species or group and its presumed ancestors
a missing link between reptiles and birds

Examples of missing link in a Sentence

Police are hopeful that the new evidence will provide the missing links needed to solve the crime. scientists searching for the missing link
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The missing links are oversight, financing, and urgency, which would give international negotiations more teeth and keep temperature increases in line. Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 The missing link between whaling and abolition Slavery in the American colonies began in 1619 with a small enslaved population that grew to about 500,000 by the American Revolution in 1775. Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025 The Royals could use an offensive spark from their outfielders, and former MLB executive Jim Bowden suggests Jorge Soler to be the missing link. Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025 This study identified a missing link in this rich and complex history of language. Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for missing link

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of missing link was in 1851

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Missing link.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missing%20link. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

missing link

noun
: a form of animal believed to have existed that shares characteristics with one animal group and the ancestors from which the group is thought to have evolved but has not been discovered in the fossil record
find the missing link between humans and apes

More from Merriam-Webster on missing link

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