1
as in participating
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in aware
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in observation
Related Words
1
as in obeying
to act according to the commands of
you must observe all the rules of this school, not simply the ones that meet with your personal approval
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in celebrating
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony
a time when few people in New England observed Christmas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in watching
to keep one's eyes on
happily spent many hours observing the birds at the backyard feeder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in reflecting
to make a statement of one's opinion
"I think you might be mistaken," he observed
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
she observed that the weather had changed again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in following
to take notice of and be guided by
generally observes the suggestions of the experts regarding baby care
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of observing
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025
This combination of talking and observing has immediate benefits.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Aug. 2025
Birdwatching is the observing of birds either as a recreational activity or citizen science.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Catherine Bray, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Stargazers interested in creating a lasting view of the transient visitors to Earth's sky should check out our guide to observing and photographing comets, along with our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography in 2025.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
How To Support Your Gen Alpha Kid As with all areas of parenting, observing our children’s development and knowing when to intervene is key.
—Hannah Silverman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
Gathered around the couch, in a spacious living room soundtracked by hushed jazz piano, her little sister disassociates with headphones while her pops casually chats to her stepmother; observing from a wheelchair is her 94-year-old great-grandmother.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2025
Engineers at Ames inflate these enormous canopies inside the wind tunnel under simulated flight conditions, observing how the materials stretch, oscillate, and deploy.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
For a while, cities across Kentucky were inconsistent, with some observing the time change and others not.
—Chris Sims, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
By looking at cells one at a time rather than in bulk, researchers can uncover their genetic makeup and unique behavior, observing subtle but influential traits that would be otherwise hidden.
—Perri Thaler, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2025
People can be swept off rocks and jetties and drown while observing high surf.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
In fact, during the first period of the fourth observing run (known as O4A), LIGO saw more gravitational wave events than from all previous observing runs combined.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025
This combination of talking and observing has immediate benefits.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Aug. 2025
Birdwatching is the observing of birds either as a recreational activity or citizen science.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Kika explores a particular collision of collapse and reinvention, observing how financial precarity and pressure can erode personal boundaries and generate unexpected forms of empowerment.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Stargazers interested in creating a lasting view of the transient visitors to Earth's sky should check out our guide to observing and photographing comets, along with our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography in 2025.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
How To Support Your Gen Alpha Kid As with all areas of parenting, observing our children’s development and knowing when to intervene is key.
—Hannah Silverman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
Gathered around the couch, in a spacious living room soundtracked by hushed jazz piano, her little sister disassociates with headphones while her pops casually chats to her stepmother; observing from a wheelchair is her 94-year-old great-grandmother.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2025
Engineers at Ames inflate these enormous canopies inside the wind tunnel under simulated flight conditions, observing how the materials stretch, oscillate, and deploy.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
For a while, cities across Kentucky were inconsistent, with some observing the time change and others not.
—Chris Sims, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
By looking at cells one at a time rather than in bulk, researchers can uncover their genetic makeup and unique behavior, observing subtle but influential traits that would be otherwise hidden.
—Perri Thaler, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2025
People can be swept off rocks and jetties and drown while observing high surf.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observing
Adjective
-
Plus, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that patients treated at hospitals that do participate in clinical trials receive better care and have lower mortality rates than patients treated at non-participating hospitals.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Tesla has implemented autopilot and self-driving features on its vehicles that include traffic-aware cruise control, semi-autonomous navigation, response to traffic lights and the ability to summon the car from a parking space.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Pregnant people may only experience mild symptoms like fever, fatigue and muscle aches, but should be aware that listeria could cause miscarriages, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of their newborn.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Until now brain rot has been more of a casual observation than something backed by hard evidence.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Based on his observations around Whitefish Point, Lynn said captains have a greater willingness to drop anchor and wait out a storm rather than risking it and powering through.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
While current power brokers haven’t scrapped movies over their content, yet, Hollywood has a recent history of companies obeying in advance by shelving projects until the tensions cool.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
-
It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.—
Robert S. Gable,
IEEE Spectrum,
20 July 2017
Verb
-
The air is thick with chants celebrating his milestone.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Nebraska tied the game with an extra point after Missouri students rushed the field, celebrating an apparent victory.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Through videos he's forced to send in while trying to stay alive (to take viewers to the frontlines of the dangerous game), the unlikely hero turns delightfully anarchic and winds up getting much of the public watching the show to be on his side.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Mamdani was seen this past Sunday in the Madison Square Garden upper level watching the Knicks ahead of Election Day on Tuesday.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Initial ground tests began in 2022, and flight trials are expected later in the decade, reflecting Seoul’s intent to field a regional deterrent amid North Korea’s missile advancements.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The film’s story emerged when the director, newly observing the bond between her two young children during the 2020 lockdown, began reflecting on sibling relationships in her own family.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Harvey brings a distinctive approach to the nuclear narrative, one shaped by childhood memories of hearing about French President Jacques Chirac and the Rainbow Warrior bombing, but noticing the absence of First Nations voices in those stories.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Humans are inherently quite good at noticing changes in other people’s expressions.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Observing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observing. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share