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
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Recent Examples of stared
Hunter-Torricke stared at the dead child and thought of his father.
—
Billy Perrigo, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
There on the wall, a picture of Verlander stared at them.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Jeanne stared at her sons and daughters-in-law gathered at the foot of the bed.
—Allegra Goodman, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Nickeil Alexander-Walker stared up at the scoreboard and smiled Monday night as a tribute video played in his honor.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2026
Waiting in the kiss-and-cry, Glenn bowed her head and stared at the floor.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The two men, in their respective corners, stared each other down.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Both stared in my direction, looking surprised at the chance for free food out here.
—David Zeug, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
The brothers all dressed in a uniform of dark suits and open shirts, and Oren stared intently into the jury pool.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Jan. 2026
Billy Perrigo, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
There on the wall, a picture of Verlander stared at them.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Jeanne stared at her sons and daughters-in-law gathered at the foot of the bed.
—Allegra Goodman, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Nickeil Alexander-Walker stared up at the scoreboard and smiled Monday night as a tribute video played in his honor.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2026
Waiting in the kiss-and-cry, Glenn bowed her head and stared at the floor.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The two men, in their respective corners, stared each other down.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Both stared in my direction, looking surprised at the chance for free food out here.
—David Zeug, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
The brothers all dressed in a uniform of dark suits and open shirts, and Oren stared intently into the jury pool.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stared
Verb
-
Yoon’s lawyers reject conviction An expressionless Yoon gazed straight ahead as the judge delivered the sentence in the same courtroom where former military rulers and presidents have been convicted of treason, corruption and other crimes over the decades.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Dreher led me to a spot at the center of the nave and gazed down.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, other Coppin State runners gawked at his broad chest, bulging biceps and thick quads.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
-
They’re presented as endearing surprises of nature and life, celebrated rather than gawked at.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The advanced technology peered even deeper into the sword, revealing that the craftsmanship around the pommel was truly awesome.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Nearby, a mating pair of wild swans that live on the lake peered over the fence.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stared. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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