as in staring
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
visitors seem mesmerized as they peer at the variety of marine life in the aquarium's huge tank
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Recent Examples of peering
This 82-minute true crime documentary focuses on the killing and its aftermath while also peering into the years leading up to Blanchard's demise.
—
James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Cruising thousands of feet above the ground, peering out of the airplane window at the world below, and pinpointing all of the green football, baseball and soccer fields sprawled below.
—Shaun Goodwin
may 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 May 2026
Qassem and Ali moved through every room, peering into corners, opening doors.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Inside, the front desk is flanked by an animatronic dire wolf and a life-size acrylic woolly mammoth peering out from what appears to be a massive block of ice.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Basulto’s planes would typically fly a few miles apart over large quadrants of the Florida Straits, zigzagging over endless swaths of sea and peering down into the whitecaps for signs of life.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 18 May 2026
As grieving attendees lined up to pay respects to the children, one woman shut her eyes after peering at one of the children, Kayla, who wore a white dress, her fingernails carefully painted pink.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Home-surveillance footage provided to the Miami Herald shows a masked man peering into cars in the area shortly before authorities were called.
—Sofia Saric
may 6, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Surveillance video provided by police shows two men dressed in all black, wearing masks, walking through the complex and peering into parked cars.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 5 May 2026
James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Cruising thousands of feet above the ground, peering out of the airplane window at the world below, and pinpointing all of the green football, baseball and soccer fields sprawled below.
—Shaun Goodwin
may 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 May 2026
Qassem and Ali moved through every room, peering into corners, opening doors.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Inside, the front desk is flanked by an animatronic dire wolf and a life-size acrylic woolly mammoth peering out from what appears to be a massive block of ice.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Basulto’s planes would typically fly a few miles apart over large quadrants of the Florida Straits, zigzagging over endless swaths of sea and peering down into the whitecaps for signs of life.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 18 May 2026
As grieving attendees lined up to pay respects to the children, one woman shut her eyes after peering at one of the children, Kayla, who wore a white dress, her fingernails carefully painted pink.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Home-surveillance footage provided to the Miami Herald shows a masked man peering into cars in the area shortly before authorities were called.
—Sofia Saric
may 6, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Surveillance video provided by police shows two men dressed in all black, wearing masks, walking through the complex and peering into parked cars.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 5 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peering
Verb
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The Knicks, staring basketball death in eye-to-eye, closed the third quarter on a 25-11 run.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
-
Arredondo refused, staring at the man with tears welling up in his eyes.—
Maria Aguilar Prieto,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Spieth was one year removed from his third major victory at age 24, and Brown was 10, gazing up at his golfing idol in awe — the wunderkind speaking to a soon-to-be sensation in his own right.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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As a scorching wind tears across the barren, rocky slopes of Komote Island off the shore of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, Alfred Lenkutuk sits in the meager shelter of his hut, gazing out over the village where he was born and remembering better times.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Shoppers are gawking at their climbing receipts as food costs continue to climb.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
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This seemingly reflexive action of whipping out their phones while gawking and filming isn’t a novel occurrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peering. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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