rubberneck
verb
rubbernecked; rubbernecking; rubbernecks
1
: to look about or stare with exaggerated curiosity
drivers passing the accident slowed down to rubberneck
2
: to go on a tour : sightsee
Examples of rubberneck in a Sentence
She was rubbernecking and almost got in an accident herself.
thoughtless drivers pausing on the highway to rubberneck at the accident
Recent Examples on the Web
Not exactly—there’s only so many people there to buy art, and plenty of others are there to rubberneck.
—
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
As a result, traffic between Morton Grove and Skokie has slowed to a crawl, and on the inbound side there has also been a slowdown due to rubbernecking.
—Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Many in the art world have been watching — though often to rubberneck.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
So there’s no reason to rubberneck Tagovailoa’s career, praising his success, or celebrating his failures.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubberneck
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.
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
As a result, traffic between Morton Grove and Skokie has slowed to a crawl, and on the inbound side there has also been a slowdown due to rubbernecking.
—Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Many in the art world have been watching — though often to rubberneck.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
So there’s no reason to rubberneck Tagovailoa’s career, praising his success, or celebrating his failures.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubberneck
Cite this Entry
“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubberneck. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
