stared

verb

past tense of stare
as in gazed
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise her friends stared in disbelief upon seeing her walking arm in arm with her ex-husband

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 stared From an underwater viewing area, Chinita Head, 52, stared past the glass alongside her 6-year-old nephew, Christian Walker. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 Dozens of members of Patriot Front stood in front of him and stared at the polycarbonate gates of the Metro system. — Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 Sam arose and placed his feet in the cool stream and stared back toward the way home. — Literary Hub, 8 July 2026 The next day in Budapest’s Kossuth Square, opposite the Parliament building, tens of thousands of Hungarians, young and old, stared in jubilation and disbelief at the giant screens streaming the inaugural ceremonies taking place inside. — Gordon F. Sander, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 Malik Tillman stared at the ball for a free kick just outside the box, to the left of the goal. — Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 2 July 2026 Roberto Baggio stared at the ground next to the 12-yard penalty spot in California after sending Italy’s final attempt over the crossbar in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil — the first time a men’s tournament had been decided on penalties. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 28 June 2026 The two singers stared at each other silently while smirking, refusing to confirm or deny the rumor. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026 Chelsea stared lovingly at the United States Title. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stared
  1. gazed
  2. gawked
  3. peered
Verb
  • Standing in front of the open coffin where Salgado Araujo’s bronze profile gazed toward the sky, were Ronaldo Salgado, 29, and his brother, Lorenzo Salgado, 27, who were greeting the visitors.
    — Albinson Linares, NBC news, 17 July 2026
  • Terrion Arnold walked across the draft stage in Detroit in April 2024, gazed out at a then-record crowd after being selected by the host city’s franchise and delivered a message to Lions fans tuning in to see their newest addition.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of gazed
Verb
  • Next Big Thing, have become the most talked about — and gawked about — in the run-up to Sunday’s World Cup final, when Messi’s Argentina will play Yamal’s Spain for the biggest trophy in the sport.
    — Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • By Thursday morning, only the awning was still standing amid the rubble, as passersby gawked and cars slowed down to survey what had happened.
    — Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
Definition of gawked
Verb
  • Nearby, members of the Qatari royal family peered down at the pitch, where their team was on the way to a 2-0 defeat to Ecuador.
    — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026
  • Neil lifted his eyes and peered out at the sea, the sky now calmed, the air flinty and strange.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 July 2026
Definition of peered

Browse Nearby Words

stare
stared
stared down
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Cite this Entry

“Stared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stared. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stared

Nglish: Translation of stared for Spanish Speakers

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