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
Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 29 Dec. 2025
This is like a car crash that people rubberneck to get a look.
—Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald, 25 Nov. 2025
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 other factor related to true-crime podcast popularity is that attraction to disaster and misfortune – like rubbernecking at the scene of a serious auto accident.
—Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 29 Dec. 2025
This is like a car crash that people rubberneck to get a look.
—Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubberneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubberneck
Noun
-
In 2024 the city implemented a fee for daytrippers of 5 to 10 Euros at peak times – one way to combat the crush of tourists.—
Seth Doane,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
Around 150 tourists were onboard the ship at the time of the outbreak, South Africa’s health department said.—
Gerald Imray,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Locals complained tourist gawked at them or traipsed through their yards.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Millions attended these exhibits and then went home to gawk at the vehicles at their local store.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its content includes live NFL and NBA games as well as original content aimed at travelers.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Why this matters for early planners For travelers who like to plan ahead or avoid peak crowds, the Nelson-Atkins is worth noting now.—
Taylor Haught,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ramzan looked to her, pleading, but Sakeena’s eyes only stared into their reflection on the glass patio door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
Inning after inning, the staring contest continued.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
All three writers turned loving, humorous, piercing gazes on a particular place, exploring, through cycles of plays, the rich humanity and the grave historical wounds of its inhabitants.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
-
One untitled work from 1994 shows a strange monster—a guard bent over, gazing back at us between his own legs, his upside-down grin framed by his jackboots.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubberneck. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
