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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Willow begins to whimper, and backs away from the door—but sits promptly down, still staring at it.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Making things with your hands will shift your brain into problem-solving mode and sparks creativity in ways staring at a screen never will.—
Cas Holman,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The final shot sees Tom gazing out the window as a curtain gently sways in the warm breeze.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
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Mike shook Drew’s hand while gazing at his old car.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gawking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawking. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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