as in staring
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 gawking
But the cringe-comedy antics of the original NBC series landed far better in Season 3 than in Season 1, once audiences began to truly love the characters instead of just gawking at them.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Nunn has a divided audience, as the Baddies show is fueled with drama, with Jerry Springer style fights to keep viewers gawking.
—Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Nunn has a divided audience, as the Baddies show is fueled with drama, with Jerry Springer style fights to keep viewers gawking.
—Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawking
Verb
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At the end of a disastrous season, the New York Mets are staring at a lot of obstacles.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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The teacher noticed Aburto Guzman take his laptop out of his red backpack, place it on the table and begin staring outside the window, according to an interview with police.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Teresa could be seen gazing up at her husband, placing a hand under her stomach.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
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Stay here for several breaths, sending the tailbone high, gazing toward the navel, and pressing your heels gently toward the mat.—
Julia Eskins,
Outside,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gawking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawking. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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