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
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
And yet the commercial exploitation of family trauma left me feeling deeply uncomfortable and even ashamed, like I was caught holding a ticket stub for the rubbernecking line at a train crash.
—Evelyn McDonnell 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 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
This could be a train wreck for rubbernecking fans of college football and TMZ-style gossip.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
And yet the commercial exploitation of family trauma left me feeling deeply uncomfortable and even ashamed, like I was caught holding a ticket stub for the rubbernecking line at a train crash.
—Evelyn McDonnell 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubberneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubberneck
Noun
-
The city also offers a tourist train for five euros that runs about every hour, connecting the historic center with the two main beach areas (Platja de la Grava and Platja de l’Arenal).—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The museum, focused on the arts, history and technology, will draw tourists and scholars from around the world.—
Dorothy Jenkins Fields,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
They’re presented as endearing surprises of nature and life, celebrated rather than gawked at.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Dec. 2025
-
As impressive as massive seven-figure expedition trucks built like heavy-duty mining vehicles are to gawk at and tour at RV shows, many adventurers will ultimately prefer far, far smaller (and cheaper) rigs for actually exploring the wild.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Designed with mild compression (8-15 mmHg), these won’t feel as constricting as socks with higher support, which might be preferred by some travelers.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, disrupting plans for thousands of travelers during a busy holiday weekend and in a region that experts say is among the most popular for travelers this time of year.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Watch Lottie interact with elk in wholesome moment Video footage recorded by Dewey shows Lottie staring towards the camera as an elk approaches and cautiously walks closer to her.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
-
In doing so, the artist grants his subjects newfound interiority, as viewers are invited to convene and gather rather than simply stare.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By day, visitors can hike, cycle, and view ancient petroglyphs left behind by the area's Indigenous Northern Paiute people, before spending the night gazing up at the twinkling canopy.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The carousel included photos of the two romantically gazing into each other's eyes, embracing on the football field, out to dinner together, posing in their Halloween costumes and locking lips on several occasions.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubberneck. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
