as in stared
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
thoughtless drivers pausing on the highway to rubberneck at the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbernecked
Verb
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The blank walls stared at her, vacant pinholes made by previous tenants peering down like dark, shrunken pupils.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026 -
The caribou stopped eating and curiously stared at him.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Still, other Coppin State runners gawked at his broad chest, bulging biceps and thick quads.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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They’re presented as endearing surprises of nature and life, celebrated rather than gawked at.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the first image, Cole gazed lovingly at the Little Women star, who wrapped her arm around his shoulder.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
31 Mar. 2026
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As the train pulled into the precincts of Guilin, Martha and Joost gazed out the window at a series of pointy green hills poking up out of bright-orange soil.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Rubbernecked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbernecked. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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