as in tourist
a person who travels for pleasure
every year raucous rubbernecks by the busload descend upon the city for its famed Mardi Gras
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to gawk
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
thoughtless drivers pausing on the highway to rubberneck at the accident
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 rubberneck
Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 22 June 2025
Flimflam felt better in the mouth than swindle, and rubberneck was a more agreeable verb than crane.
—Ralph Keyes, Time, 1 Apr. 2021
Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
The whole of football is rubbernecking in their direction.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubberneck
Noun
Yet the car will likely obey speed limits, never get drowsy or drunk and never rubberneck or give in to road rage.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 22 June 2025
Flimflam felt better in the mouth than swindle, and rubberneck was a more agreeable verb than crane.
—Ralph Keyes, Time, 1 Apr. 2021
Verb
The sidewalk was bustling, but no one even bothered to rubberneck.
—Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
The whole of football is rubbernecking in their direction.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubberneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubberneck
Noun
-
First, in terms of travel distance, European tourists may shift from long-haul trips to shorter journeys.—
,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Throughout, visiting tourist Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) stuffs her face with every kind of meat, vegetable and carb while her father Phil (Woody Harrelson) is the one whose stomach miraculously swells.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 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
-
There are flashy dunks or goals to gawk at.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The remote terminal essentially moves the security screening process from the actual airport to the new facility, allowing travelers to check themselves and their bags and get on a bus that drops them off right at their airport gate, 23 miles away.—
Aaron Parseghian,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
Chipmunks chitter around the bald summit as travelers marvel at the vast panorama unfurling at their feet.—
Shilo Urban,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Why Off-Grid Travel Is Booming In 2026 The shift is driven by hard numbers about how much of life is spent staring at a screen.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
-
His hands were at ten and two, his face fixed, staring straight ahead.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Float through spectacular canyons, check out petroglyphs and Native American ruins, conquer rapids, and spend your nights unwinding while gazing up at the Milky Way.—
Matt Bell,
AFAR Media,
19 May 2026
-
Smith gazed lovingly at Brosnan as the leading man turned up the charm while accepting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997.—
John Russell,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubberneck. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
