In a New York Times article, gaping hole NYT usually refers to the phrase “gaping hole” used metaphorically to describe a serious deficiency, flaw, or gap in a system, policy, argument, or situation. An example is the NYT could state that a law or a plan has a gaping hole to emphasize that that plan, or law, has a critical weakness that could lead to issues, or even be abused. It underlines an observable and considerable deficiency that needs to be brought to the forefront or to be fixed.