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
  • Such an approach runs the risk of gawking at an unfamiliar people, their hegemonies and their ways of life, even with the best intentions.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 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
  • War Secretary Pete Hegseth is mobilizing the Pentagon’s cybersecurity and intelligence resources to protect against foreign interference in the 2026 midterm elections.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But officials cited Wallace for pass interference, giving the Broncos another set of downs.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of interference
Verb
  • His life trajectory changed when one client, a woman in her 50s, tired of staring at the stark white demarcation line every three weeks, begged him to take her gray.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In the first, Cameron and David are staring at each other in front of a net of twinkling lights.
    — Michael Nied, InStyle, 24 Sep. 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
  • Make sure to get a room with a balcony for private hipster-gazing with a cocktail.
    — Riza Cruz, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Terraces in various configurations have capacious daybeds and sometimes plunge pools for gazing at the expansive sea views.
    — Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of gazing
Noun
  • During questioning, Cohen initially pointed to Handal’s own statements as evidence of his knowledge.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The line of questioning came at a hearing days before her ouster.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 27 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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