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
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
-
What Alkassar, who lives on South Beach, does hope to do is lure not only Miami Beach residents and tourists but locals who have in recent times proved reluctant to cross the bridges from the mainland.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In the nineties, the Danish government launched an urban-regeneration plan that paired public money with private development and promised new transit and tourist infrastructure.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Crowds gathered, not to buy—few could have afforded the fruit or even known how to eat them—but to gawk.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps it a school field trip to gawk at CNN’s studios.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
An experienced world-traveler who is no longer interested in scenes or conspicuous displays of wealth or expertise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Videos posted on social media showed thousands of travelers waiting in crowded conditions as airport trains gradually came back online.—
Brian Maass,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The whole allure of staring death in the face on film wasn’t born in the ’70s, of course.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Some with furtive glances, some outright staring.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Days are spent barefoot, raising turnips, sitting out by the lake, gazing at the cattle.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
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 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
