as in staring
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
visitors seem mesmerized as they peer at the variety of marine life in the aquarium's huge tank
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Recent Examples of peering
The astronauts will take turns peering through Orion’s windows with cameras.
—
Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The blank walls stared at her, vacant pinholes made by previous tenants peering down like dark, shrunken pupils.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Picture tiny pitbull faces peering out from scrubs and white coats, and try not to melt.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Photos show Zangara peering over her hat.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Barry begins where Wilde begins and Strauss (who follows the original play closely) with a pair of soldiers in Herod’s court peering at the moon, one moonstruck by the beauty of Herod’s daughter Salome.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Following three straight 100-loss seasons that led to a front-office house cleaning, Rockies fans are peering down the road for glimmers of hope.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Missions to Mars have looked for signs of photosynthesis – the process by which plants take in energy – and telescopes peering deep into space look for oxygen, which organisms on Earth release into the atmosphere.
—Mary Magnuson, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Wonyetye had been arrested just a few weeks prior on a misdemeanor charge of night prowling after he was caught peering through windows in Lake Worth, The Palm Beach Post reported in 1991.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The blank walls stared at her, vacant pinholes made by previous tenants peering down like dark, shrunken pupils.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Picture tiny pitbull faces peering out from scrubs and white coats, and try not to melt.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Photos show Zangara peering over her hat.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Barry begins where Wilde begins and Strauss (who follows the original play closely) with a pair of soldiers in Herod’s court peering at the moon, one moonstruck by the beauty of Herod’s daughter Salome.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Following three straight 100-loss seasons that led to a front-office house cleaning, Rockies fans are peering down the road for glimmers of hope.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Missions to Mars have looked for signs of photosynthesis – the process by which plants take in energy – and telescopes peering deep into space look for oxygen, which organisms on Earth release into the atmosphere.
—Mary Magnuson, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Wonyetye had been arrested just a few weeks prior on a misdemeanor charge of night prowling after he was caught peering through windows in Lake Worth, The Palm Beach Post reported in 1991.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peering
Verb
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Joan and Lynn were staring at Louise with entirely blank expressions.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Our first glimpse of her, before this road trip, was staring blankly, maybe suicidally, into a river.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frenza whispers to herself, gazing at her reflection in the mirror with the bottle in her hand, raising a toast to her own intelligence and ironic wit, which are, in her opinion, her most powerful protections against the world.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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The springs are the perfect location for a picnic and an afternoon spent lounging and swimming in the pool of clear, clean spring water and gazing at the small waterfall.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On a typical day, the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale reverberates with animal cries and the footfalls of gawking visitors.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Armed soldiers patrolled in droves, spreading hate and fear everywhere, blindfolding children, pointing guns, gawking, spitting, laughing at us like animals in the zoo.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peering. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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