rubberneck 1 of 2

noun

ˈrə-bər-ˌnek How to pronounce rubberneck (audio)
Definition of rubbernecknext
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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rubberneck

2 of 2

verb

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
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
So there’s no reason to rubberneck Tagovailoa’s career, praising his success, or celebrating his failures. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026 Time to put fingers over your eyes, otherwise this is just rubbernecking. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rubberneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubberneck
  1. tourist
  2. gawk
  3. traveler
  4. stare
  5. gaze
Noun
  • Recent incidents drawing public scrutiny in Thailand have involved tourists of several nationalities, but one of the highest profile cases was of an Israeli tourist who was convicted of threatening a zoo owner and then deported.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Washington did grow, and for years tourists and residents flocked to the Capitol’s wide terrace overlooking the National Mall, especially at sunset.
    — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of tourist
Verb
  • Such an approach runs the risk of gawking at an unfamiliar people, their hegemonies and their ways of life, even with the best intentions.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, site offers visitors a chance to gawk at a vast array of the figurines as well as learn more about their history, and offers bobbleheads for sale.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of gawk
Noun
  • Airline operations across the UK have reportedly resumed following an air traffic control failure that cancelled over 2,000 flights and left hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded at airports throughout the country.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Under the agency model, the traveler pays the hotel directly and Booking collects a commission after the stay.
    — Isabella Gao, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of traveler
Verb
  • Bereaved mother Debra Robinson stared at the accused before bursting into tears in the courtroom.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Once there, staring at the devastation, there was no denying the reality of death.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of stare
Verb
  • Margaret Keane’s big-eyed children gaze unabashedly at a girl sketched by Pablo Picasso, and cartoonist Rose O’Neill rubs elbows with Vincent van Gogh.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For example, some sculptures establish sight lines while gazing toward other sculptures—a bronze representation of the messenger god Mercury in the Carter Collection room stares beyond its space to the Bateman Mercury, ca.
    — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of gaze

Browse Nearby Words

rubberlike
rubberneck
rubbernecked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubberneck. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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