rubberneck
noun
\
Definition of rubberneck
(Entry 1 of 2)
rubberneck
verbDefinition of rubberneck (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from rubberneck
Verb
\
noun
Synonyms for rubberneck
Synonyms: Noun
excursionist, rubbernecker, sightseer, tourist, traveler (or traveller), tripper [chiefly British]
Synonyms: Verb
blink, gape, gawk, gawp [chiefly British], gaze, goggle, peer, stare
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of rubberneck in a Sentence
Noun
every year raucous rubbernecks by the busload descend upon the city for its famed Mardi GrasVerb
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: Noun
What can only be described as a rubberneck-inducing, Alfalfa hair situation ensues, rendering her date-night vibe—a formfitting V-neck pink dress and no-makeup makeup look—virtually irreparable. — Kate Branch, Vogue, "A Love Letter to the ’90s Bob That Changed Everything," 15 July 2018 The branch fell hard to the ground, scattering bees and rubbernecks in all directions. — Ben Kesling, WSJ, "Look Out—It’s New York City’s Bee Cop! And He’s Got a Vacuum Cleaner," 1 Aug. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Maryland State Police reported inner loop backups from rubbernecking drivers that stretched from the bridge to Branch Avenue. — Clarence Williams, Washington Post, "A daytime bridge crash clogged D.C. area traffic into the night," 20 June 2018 Nothing unusual, except a video crew trailed Norman Xiong and his buddies, Rick Johnson and Roberto Castillo, down the sidewalk, no doubt causing some motorists to rubberneck. — Tod Leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Interest high as San Diego Pro Kids alum Norman Xiong turns pro," 29 May 2018 Thousands rubbernecked from city streets, from Harbor and Shelter Islands and from Point Loma. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "Queen Elizabeth visits San Diego," 26 Feb. 2018 The show’s first season, The People v. O.J. Simpson, elevated rubbernecking to an art. — Tom Gliatto, PEOPLE.com, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace," 17 Jan. 2018 Yet the majority of people rubbernecking across the caution tape were members of the media. — Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, "In New York, the deadliest terrorist attack since 9/11 stirs old memories and strengthens resolve," 1 Nov. 2017 In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, the community was inundated with well wishes and donations—as well as rubbernecking tourists. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The 1927 Bombing That Remains America’s Deadliest School Massacre," 18 May 2017 The warning here lay not in the number of Americans who rubbernecked at this episode, but in how many were genuinely thrilled by it. — Nitsuh Abebe, New York Times, "Tired of ‘Winning’? You Should Be," 20 June 2017 In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, the community was inundated with well wishes and donations—as well as rubbernecking tourists. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The 1927 Bombing That Remains America’s Deadliest School Massacre," 18 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rubberneck.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about rubberneck
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Your Body Is a Metaphor
Your Body Is a Metaphor
8 phrases inspired by parts of the body
Dictionary Entries near rubberneck
Statistics for rubberneck
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for rubberneck
The first known use of rubberneck was in 1892
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on rubberneck
What made you want to look up rubberneck? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words for Summer: A Quiz
-
- Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share rubberneck
Resources for rubberneck