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
Locals complained tourist gawked at them or traipsed through their yards.
—
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Onlookers gawked from the balconies of nearby condo towers.
—Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
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
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Onlookers gawked from the balconies of nearby condo towers.
—Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawked
Verb
-
My wife stared at the broken cup for a while without saying a word.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Layne stared for a long time at the reflection pools there.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
In a few photos, the pair gazed into each other's eyes with warm, affectionate expressions.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
-
Stood frozen to the backdrop of unrestrained exultation, Cholowsky — the presumptive top pick in July’s MLB Draft — gazed over the boy’s shoulder with a thousand-yard stare.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gawked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawked. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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