as in spotting
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
the crew felt a rush of excitement upon hearing that the lookout had sighted land
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sighting
Organizers with the Vans Jack’s Surfboard Pro said the beach was closed for a mile in each direction following the shark sighting late afternoon on Thursday, April 23.
—
Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Even slight pollution or habitat changes can threaten them — a detail that makes every confirmed sighting significant for conservation science.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
In addition to the occasional energy vortex, Sedona is said to be a UFO sighting hot spot.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
The equipment allowed the researchers to pinpoint the area emitting the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale's unique call without first sighting the animals, which are among the deepest-diving mammals in the world.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
Parks closed, troops deployed for bears In Sapporo City, authorities closed Maruyama Park for two weeks following a bear sighting there.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025
His call to the Coast Guard upon sighting Humphrey resulted in a comical conversation.
—Helen Harlan, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
One of the six runways at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport was closed for about 45 minutes early Saturday afternoon after reports of a drone sighting around noon (1000 GMT), military police spokesman Doron Wallin told The Associated Press.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Pasquatch sighting in Cleveland!
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Even slight pollution or habitat changes can threaten them — a detail that makes every confirmed sighting significant for conservation science.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
In addition to the occasional energy vortex, Sedona is said to be a UFO sighting hot spot.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
The equipment allowed the researchers to pinpoint the area emitting the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale's unique call without first sighting the animals, which are among the deepest-diving mammals in the world.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
Parks closed, troops deployed for bears In Sapporo City, authorities closed Maruyama Park for two weeks following a bear sighting there.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025
His call to the Coast Guard upon sighting Humphrey resulted in a comical conversation.
—Helen Harlan, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
One of the six runways at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport was closed for about 45 minutes early Saturday afternoon after reports of a drone sighting around noon (1000 GMT), military police spokesman Doron Wallin told The Associated Press.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Pasquatch sighting in Cleveland!
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sighting
Verb
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Overhead watering may cause flowers to droop or spotting on petals; certain species are more subject to disease if watered from above.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
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The drones are designed to perform autonomously or via remote control while doing such things as stalking submarines, spotting mines and serving as advance scouts for aircraft carriers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And without really noticing it, the urgency that once existed at the beginning of your search quietly fades away.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
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After noticing that one of the items purchased was the entire Lip Critic discography on Bandcamp, Kaser was later confronted by the fan at one of their shows, who claimed to have decoded hidden messages in their music.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The one big missing piece was seeing her team finally capture an elusive state championship.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Mario Tama / Getty Images file In a report whose data was largely compiled before the recent run-up, Bank of America analysts found that so far, only lower-income households were seeing a significant impact on their budgets from higher gas prices.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And yes, many object to what the church teaches regarding women’s health and place in a family.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Secretary of the Commission Commodity Futures Trading Commission, regarding prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket, and their impact on the NBA.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sighting. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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