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
The place is the Savin Bar + Kitchen, in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, where immediately inside the front door, patrons are greeted by a larger-than-life framed mugshot of Bulger — the mob-boss, murderer, bank robber, drug dealer and extortionist — peering cooly out from under his fedora.
—
Tovia Smith, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
This is the first in a series of mysterious and increasingly frightening events that follow him through his childhood, all of it narrated in 'Penpal' by his adult self peering through a distorted lens of shaky, imperfect recall.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Altman stealing someone’s art and running for the door or peering through blinds in fear that Elon Musk was coming to take over OpenAI.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025
Gunshots slicing through the air from above sent visitors running for cover or peering out of their cars to investigate – some worried for family members inside the facility.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Success was both exhilarating and terrifying; his sister Pam recalls paparazzi peering into their parents’ kitchen.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
Called the Citadelle Henry in the king’s day, Christophe’s famous fort, which survived the deadly quake, sits atop one of Haiti’s highest mountain peaks peering all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean.
—Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Barker said that the investigation began on Tuesday night, when Ruth’s ex-girlfriend’s mother reported seeing him on her property in camouflage, peering into the home with binoculars.
—Alexandra Koch , Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
That hasn’t stopped passers-by from peering through the windows.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 11 Sep. 2025
Tovia Smith, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
This is the first in a series of mysterious and increasingly frightening events that follow him through his childhood, all of it narrated in 'Penpal' by his adult self peering through a distorted lens of shaky, imperfect recall.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Altman stealing someone’s art and running for the door or peering through blinds in fear that Elon Musk was coming to take over OpenAI.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025
Gunshots slicing through the air from above sent visitors running for cover or peering out of their cars to investigate – some worried for family members inside the facility.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Success was both exhilarating and terrifying; his sister Pam recalls paparazzi peering into their parents’ kitchen.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
Called the Citadelle Henry in the king’s day, Christophe’s famous fort, which survived the deadly quake, sits atop one of Haiti’s highest mountain peaks peering all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean.
—Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Barker said that the investigation began on Tuesday night, when Ruth’s ex-girlfriend’s mother reported seeing him on her property in camouflage, peering into the home with binoculars.
—Alexandra Koch , Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
That hasn’t stopped passers-by from peering through the windows.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peering
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 footage shows a tabby cat gazing out the window with her back to the camera while a small gray-and-white kitten sits beside her.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Peering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peering. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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