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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The pair ignored him and continued to walk away, leaving Frank staring in their direction for several seconds.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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There’s a picture of me, not quite a year old, in a blue sailor suit and a red ribbon tied around my neck, staring avidly at a picture book.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But gazing at the field of red clay just feet away from his front door gives him the feeling that Charlotte’s growth is climbing on top of him.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Dismukes commented, while gazing into Padilla's eyes.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gawking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawking. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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