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
  • This suggests both the intense focus of Wiesler’s eavesdropping and its insidious intrusion.
    — Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Many state wiretap and eavesdropping laws are written around whether a private communication was intercepted or its contents were acquired — not simply whether a conventional audio recording was created.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Annie Palmer, CNBC, 18 Oct. 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
  • The sensor supports the missile’s ability to operate around sophisticated air defense networks, where electronic interference and other battlefield threats can complicate targeting.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The Broncos held on to beat the Rams 30-26 in Week 3 after a defensive pass interference call negated cornerback Josh Wallace's interception with just over a minute remaining.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of interference
Verb
  • Jovovich captioned the photo, a close-up of her lookalike teenager staring into the camera.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Instead of staring directly at the galaxy, look slightly beside it.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 6 Nov. 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
  • Related The Instagram gallery opens with a photo of Grande embracing Alvarez and gazing into his eyes amid lush greenery.
    — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2026
  • No, the only way to truly appreciate The Gilded Age is to adopt the same perspective that Oscar and Enid prefer when gazing upon the rest of New York society.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of gazing
Noun
  • Such a line of questioning was met with anger — or the closest thing Young chose to muster to it.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Marsocci acknowledged industry-wide questioning about the future of the brand without its famous, charismatic and exacting founder.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 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 11 Nov. 2026.

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