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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 peering
Watching the House chamber from the viewing gallery before the speech was like peering into a garden party from above.
—
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
By peering through thick veils of gas and dust, radio astronomers have been able to watch young binary stars orbit around one another in the heart of star-forming clouds — and, in the process, have revealed the stars' masses.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The trio pulled up on e-bikes, drove up to the entrance of the Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to take drags off a vape while peering through the shuttered doors.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
That means parking your car responsibly and not peering into private homes or gardens.
—Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
To glean clues about her birth family, Valentine held the note up to the light, peering through the obscuring markings.
—Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Rest and relaxation are otherwise encouraged via the design itself, from the warm woods that wrap around the place to the open design that prioritizes open spaces for roaming, lots of windows for peering outside, and a bathroom with a massive tub for taking a good long soak.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 14 Apr. 2026
Outside City Hall, New Yorkers and tourists frequently stop for selfies, peering through the iron gates in search of the mayor.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
So what can a few hours of peering out the window from 4,000 miles away really tell us about the Moon?
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
By peering through thick veils of gas and dust, radio astronomers have been able to watch young binary stars orbit around one another in the heart of star-forming clouds — and, in the process, have revealed the stars' masses.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The trio pulled up on e-bikes, drove up to the entrance of the Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to take drags off a vape while peering through the shuttered doors.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
That means parking your car responsibly and not peering into private homes or gardens.
—Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
To glean clues about her birth family, Valentine held the note up to the light, peering through the obscuring markings.
—Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Rest and relaxation are otherwise encouraged via the design itself, from the warm woods that wrap around the place to the open design that prioritizes open spaces for roaming, lots of windows for peering outside, and a bathroom with a massive tub for taking a good long soak.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 14 Apr. 2026
Outside City Hall, New Yorkers and tourists frequently stop for selfies, peering through the iron gates in search of the mayor.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
So what can a few hours of peering out the window from 4,000 miles away really tell us about the Moon?
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peering
Verb
-
Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Suddenly, the Royals were staring at a 5-2 deficit.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Farran asked, gazing at their graves — cardboard signs smeared with handwritten Arabic because the war has made a proper burial in their village impossible.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Here's what to know about the timing, and if the weather will allow for moon-gazing activities.—
Mariyam Muhammad,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Those are important characteristics for advertisers seeking to make dynamic campaigns for an audience that's grown accustomed to viewing short-form videos on Reels or gawking at cat photos on Facebook and Instagram.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peering. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
