as in stared
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
she suddenly realized she had been gaping at the good-looking waiter instead of giving him her order
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Recent Examples of gaped
Upon first glance of the architectural marvel that is the magnificent indoor-outdoor lobby, my mouth gaped open; on every return visit since, it's done the same.
—
Emily Adler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Inside the old asylum, plaster peeled from mottled walls and holes gaped in the ceiling.
—
Jen Rose Smith,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Some stuffing gaped out of the rips on the back.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
Emily Adler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Inside the old asylum, plaster peeled from mottled walls and holes gaped in the ceiling.
—
Jen Rose Smith,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Some stuffing gaped out of the rips on the back.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaped
Verb
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Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
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In La Guaira, Cristian Carreño stared at his charred apartment building tilting precariously to one side.
Verb
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Locals complained tourist gawked at them or traipsed through their yards.
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Onlookers gawked from the balconies of nearby condo towers.
Verb
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Near 18th and Grand on the second double-decker Orange Bus during the mind-boggling Oranje Fanwalk on Thursday, KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer gazed back — and realized there somehow were as many people behind them as before them.
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En route from the airport, his mother gazed out of the window, apparently rapt by these strange surroundings.
Cite this Entry
“Gaped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaped. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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