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

Relevance

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
  • French authorities ordered the complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula on Friday, launching boats to help rescue people from the popular tourist destination that’s now threatened by wildfires.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • In 2024, a tourist operator came across a group of orcas, including a juvenile, off the coast from San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, in the Gulf of California.
    — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Definition of tourist
Verb
  • Next Big Thing, have become the most talked about — and gawked about — in the run-up to Sunday’s World Cup final, when Messi’s Argentina will play Yamal’s Spain for the biggest trophy in the sport.
    — Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • By Thursday morning, only the awning was still standing amid the rubble, as passersby gawked and cars slowed down to survey what had happened.
    — Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
Definition of gawk
Noun
  • Readers cast 661,000 votes this year for their favorite cities, airlines, hotels and more, with editors describing the rankings as a snapshot of places resonating with travelers today.
    — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026
  • At the same time, the State Department has said American travelers should not go to Haiti and supported the deployment of an international task force sent to suppress gangs in Haiti.
    — Jay Weaver July 22, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of traveler
Verb
  • Inside the latest post-loss clubhouse, multiple players sat at their lockers in silence, staring at their phones or blankly ahead.
    — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • This paragon of patience is staring at an uncertain future and wearing thin.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of stare
Verb
  • Standing in front of the open coffin where Salgado Araujo’s bronze profile gazed toward the sky, were Ronaldo Salgado, 29, and his brother, Lorenzo Salgado, 27, who were greeting the visitors.
    — Albinson Linares, NBC news, 17 July 2026
  • Parts of the hotel date to the 14th century and one can gaze out at the spires and listen to church bells, but the atmosphere is contemporary with an emphasis on food and drink and sleeping rooms with art from ownership's private collection.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 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 25 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rubberneck

Nglish: Translation of rubberneck for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All