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rubbernecked

verb

past tense of rubberneck
as in stared
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise thoughtless drivers pausing on the highway to rubberneck at the accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbernecked
  1. stared
  2. gawked
  3. gazed
Verb
  • In one photo, Pelphrey playfully cradled Cuoco's baby bump while the actress stared at him with a comically strained smile.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Those of us blessed not to have been at the point of impact filed out onto the lawn and stared back in horror at the broken and burning building.
    — Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stared
Verb
  • People in surrounding cars gawked, waved and, in one instance, rolled down their windows to shout something that went unheard, as Bonelli explained that the van had internal cameras that were always on but not always being watched.
    — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026
  • On Thursday, the nuisance from the wings was the one being gawked at by a cast young enough to be his kids — a detail Wilson clocked from backstage.
    — Sarah Grant, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of gawked
Verb
  • Many spent the hours of downtime chatting about the case; others read books or idly gazed out the lofty courthouse windows.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In the box, jumpers gazed up at several large monitors that displayed maps and live weather updates.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of gazed
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.

Browse Nearby Words

rubberneck
rubbernecked
rubbernecker
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Cite this Entry

“Rubbernecked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbernecked. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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