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 way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
As even the tiniest speck of dust, or nearby city lights can break equipment or make noise in readings, remote areas like Kitt Peak offer sanctuary to astronomers peering deep into space.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
As even the tiniest speck of dust, or nearby city lights can break equipment or make noise in readings, remote areas like Kitt Peak offer sanctuary to astronomers peering deep into space.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peering
Verb
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Behind the glass doors of an unassuming building in Manhattan, staring across a shuttered print shop, a shadowy world stirred, coming alive with the flick of cards, the muted clink of glasses and the quiet hum of a dangerous secret.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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Sean Monahan, Voronkov and others came up empty on point-blank opportunities that left them staring into the rafters or yelling at the ice in frustration.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
25 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 1 Nov. 2025.
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