as in eavesdropping
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in gawking
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 rubbernecking
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The whole of football is rubbernecking in their direction.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Verb
Instead, Malinin popped his quad axel, the beginning of four minutes that started to feel like rubbernecking a car accident.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The whole of football is rubbernecking in their direction.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbernecking
Noun
-
Anadolu via Getty Images Apple users are starting to receive their share of a $95 million cash payout to settle a class action case alleging Siri eavesdropping.—
Kate O'Flaherty,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Only a few other animals, like parrots and apes, have demonstrated a knack for this kind of eavesdropping.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On a typical day, the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale reverberates with animal cries and the footfalls of gawking visitors.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Armed soldiers patrolled in droves, spreading hate and fear everywhere, blindfolding children, pointing guns, gawking, spitting, laughing at us like animals in the zoo.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The overall trajectory represents movement toward authoritarianism and democratic erosion, with scapegoating of Black, brown, and immigrant communities serving as justification for expanding federal power and potential election interference.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Lawyers representing What-A-Burger #13 and its owner, Zeb Bost, fired back that Whataburger broke a previous, decades-old agreement first with the Bost family that would allow the North Carolina business to operate without interference in Stanly and Cabarrus counties.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After taking his skis off, Klæbo sat hunched over, staring into the snow, before standing up and congratulating his teammates and the rest of the finishers.—
Nathaniel Herz,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Kids leaned over the sideline staring at fresh paint that had not learned the language of pickup games yet.—
D’Joumbarey Moreau,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Standing under a starry sky, gazing up at the wonder of the cosmos, is a foundational human experience and one that has shaped our storytelling and cultures for millennia.—
Megan Eaves,
Outside,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Whitney is gazing into the middle distance, contemplating a runner on a Lithuanian passport, when Ferdinand blows the world of season four apart.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
He has since been turned over to the FBI for questioning, deputies said.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
During the questioning, government prosecutor Jason Wu asked Noelcius if the warrant authorized anyone to kill the president, capture and take him out of the country or give foreigners the right to take it from the internet to execute it.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun.—
Jason Sheeler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubbernecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbernecking. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
