rift
noun
an opening made by splitting, cleaving, etc.; fissure; cleft; chink.
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But there was one spot where the clouds had rifted and the light shone through.
From Deep Furrows by Hopkins Moorhouse