as in stared
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
couldn't help gawking at the exotically dressed guests in the hotel lobby
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Recent Examples of gawked
Still, other Coppin State runners gawked at his broad chest, bulging biceps and thick quads.
—
Tyler Jett, Des Moines Register, 21 Jan. 2026
They’re presented as endearing surprises of nature and life, celebrated rather than gawked at.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Drilling for progress As the rest of us gawked at Maye’s pinpoint accuracy on his 55-yard completion to Rhamondre Stevenson in the third quarter of last Sunday’s win — the longest of his career — Maye’s position coach smiled for a different reason.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Tyler Jett, Des Moines Register, 21 Jan. 2026
They’re presented as endearing surprises of nature and life, celebrated rather than gawked at.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Drilling for progress As the rest of us gawked at Maye’s pinpoint accuracy on his 55-yard completion to Rhamondre Stevenson in the third quarter of last Sunday’s win — the longest of his career — Maye’s position coach smiled for a different reason.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawked
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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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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On a recent Monday afternoon in a small Mexican diner, not far from the 710 Freeway in East Los Angeles, Gricel Gonzalez, 57, gazed out the window at the avenue.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gawked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawked. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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