as in eavesdropping
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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
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Recent Examples of 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
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
Noun
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Such opportunistic eavesdropping is challenging, because Starlink is consistently optimizing for its primary satellite Internet service by turning beams on and off, or sometimes switching beams as the fast-moving satellites talk to many different users, Kassas explained.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
11 May 2026
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Greylord was a watershed in its use of eavesdropping devices and a mole to obtain evidence instead of relying on wrongdoers to become government informants.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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This seemingly reflexive action of whipping out their phones while gawking and filming isn’t a novel occurrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
Those are important characteristics for advertisers seeking to make dynamic campaigns for an audience that's grown accustomed to viewing short-form videos on Reels or gawking at cat photos on Facebook and Instagram.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After the review, McNabb was assessed a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game misconduct that ended his night.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Reduced visibility from fog, rain, snow or dust, along with sensor or windshield interference from droplets, ice or dirt, can obstruct perception, while slippery road surfaces can reduce traction and change braking performance.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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So, sometimes silence and solitude is necessary, and just like sitting on a plane watching nothing, doing nothing, just staring blankly at … it's called raw-dogging a flight.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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According to the criminal complaint in that case, a woman at a coffee shop drive-thru reported seeing a man, later identified as Trepanier, at the back of the building with his pants down and masturbating while staring at her.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Other communities, such as Malibu, have developed ordinances to reduce glare and artificial light, as has Joshua Tree National Park, a star-gazing haven that is designated an International Dark Sky Park.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Or, if you'd rather be cocooned in greenery than gazing at the Pacific, one of the two treehouse-style suites nestled in the property's garden is a dreamy alternative.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Israeli naval forces intercepted 22 boats carrying some 175 activists off Crete, boarding vessels, damaging engines and detaining participants for questioning, passengers said.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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Then last year’s public questioning of the Astros’ defensive positioning.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
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With that said, the game has managed to rack up an impressive five million sales in under a month, developing a dedicated fanbase that's been probing and prying at the game's engine, with delightful and sometimes unexpected results.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
16 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Rubbernecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbernecking. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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