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
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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
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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
-
Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic.—
Fabiola Sanchez,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Videos circulating social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic.—
Fabiola Sánchez,
Fortune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Luckily for me, the Brentwood class wasn’t too packed, so there weren’t too many fellow exercisers there to gawk at my unorthodox choice of attire.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2026
-
On a typical day, the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale reverberates with animal cries and the footfalls of gawking visitors.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Owned by Horoy Group, Conrad Shenzhen is poised to usher global travelers to the Chinese gateway city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Because many travelers book trips months in advance, the biggest question now is whether the recent disruptions in western Mexico will stabilize before those peak weeks or whether airlines and cruise lines will continue adjusting schedules and itineraries as spring break demand ramps up.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the photo the beleaguered president is pinned against the elevator’s back wall, shoulders hunched, arms crossed, eyes staring downward.—
Steven Levingston,
Vanity Fair,
23 Feb. 2026
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Travellers sat slumped staring at phones or snoozed under their coats.—
Mary Gaitskill,
New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Standing under a starry sky, gazing up at the wonder of the cosmos, is a foundational human experience and one that has shaped our storytelling and cultures for millennia.—
Megan Eaves,
Outside,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Yoon’s lawyers reject conviction An expressionless Yoon gazed straight ahead as the judge delivered the sentence in the same courtroom where former military rulers and presidents have been convicted of treason, corruption and other crimes over the decades.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubberneck. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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