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
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Some flights to the Middle East have been rerouted, and service to select destinations in or near the conflict zone has been curtailed, but domestic flights and those to popular international tourist destinations in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Oceania are largely unaffected.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Sightings dwindled, and tourists stopped coming.—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Onlookers gawked from the balconies of nearby condo towers.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
For patrician statesmen, grandeur is usually understated, radiating restraint rather than gawk-inspiring shows of brazen wealth.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Package For travelers booking the Aero–Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea package, the experience extends beyond the flight and hotel stay.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
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Google was reporting a 35-minute delay for eastbound travelers.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Naturally, Williams falls into the pool and uses the opportunity to take off his wet shirt, causing all the women, as well as the waitstaff, to helplessly stare at him.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
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Put Your Stamp On It Something that’s truly special about the museum is the interactive nature of its programming—this place isn’t about standing back and staring.—
Paul J. Heney,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Days are spent barefoot, raising turnips, sitting out by the lake, gazing at the cattle.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Sifting through data from sun-gazing spacecraft, Battams’s project has found more than 5,000 so far.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubberneck. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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