rubbernecking 1 of 2

noun

as in eavesdropping

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rubbernecking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rubberneck
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
Verb
As a result, traffic between Morton Grove and Skokie has slowed to a crawl, and on the inbound side there has also been a slowdown due to rubbernecking. — Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 4 May 2026 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
  1. eavesdropping
  2. gawking
  3. interference
  4. staring
  5. intrusiveness
  6. gazing
  7. questioning
  8. prying
Noun
  • OpenAI’s forthcoming device, rumored to be a portable smart speaker, could encounter similar eavesdropping concerns.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • It was mostly shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv to avoid Israeli eavesdropping and protect its subjects.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of eavesdropping
Verb
  • The film opens with Tenzing as a boy, gawking at Mount Everest, which looms across the valley like Godzilla.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • On most days the Jewel House in the Tower of London is packed with tourists gawking at the fabled British Crown Jewels.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of gawking
Noun
  • Powerus has not released navigation accuracy figures or explained how the system handles GPS interference.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There's another tempting reason to watch the Taurids in 2026 — moonlight will cause little interference around the main peaks.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of interference
Verb
  • Before ChatGPT came on the scene, chipmakers were staring at a post-COVID chip glut.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Taken roughly two decades after her prison ordeal, the image reveals a still formidable figure, a woman unbroken by countless trials, staring straight into the camera’s lens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of staring
Noun
  • That seemed to work for a while, but now his intrusiveness is ramping up again.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of intrusiveness
Verb
  • Frequent elections, impatient constituents and the unrelenting pressure of the news cycle do not provide rewards for gazing into crystal balls or enacting visionary policies whose benefits may only be evident years later.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Calvo, meanwhile, sits at a desk in his hotel room, gazing into the camera lens placidly while idly sketching on a sheet of paper.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of gazing
Noun
  • At stake is not just some meetings, but a questioning of the kingdom’s pitch as a safe home for trillions in financial assets, data centers, and new industries.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutor Jason Wu, during questioning of FBI analyst Elizabeth Riddell, asked about Sanon’s exchanges with Pretel, the FBI informant.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of questioning
Noun
  • The door’s handle had been broken off but the door did not have damage consistent with a break-in, such as prying or force marks, said Det.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • If the convict can help transport the loot from that camp to a safe space far from the government’s prying eyes, the warden will punch his get-outta-jail-free card.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of prying

Browse Nearby Words

rubberneckers
rubbernecking
rubbernecks
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Cite this Entry

“Rubbernecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbernecking. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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