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
Relevance
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
It'll always be studied, stared at, written about and treasured.
—
Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
And yet, the dog—Sydney’s shadow, his stray—stared back at Victor, tail wagging in recognition.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
The soldiers at the door stared at a television screen tuned to MTV.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The caribou stopped eating and curiously stared at him.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Researchers placed food near a person who either stared directly at nearby gulls or deliberately looked away.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Food was placed near a person who either stared directly at nearby gulls or deliberately looked away.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
UConn head coach Dan Hurley just helplessly stared at the ball in the air.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Maurice stared up at the video board at center ice while the video played, remaining stoic.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
And yet, the dog—Sydney’s shadow, his stray—stared back at Victor, tail wagging in recognition.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
The soldiers at the door stared at a television screen tuned to MTV.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The caribou stopped eating and curiously stared at him.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Researchers placed food near a person who either stared directly at nearby gulls or deliberately looked away.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Food was placed near a person who either stared directly at nearby gulls or deliberately looked away.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
UConn head coach Dan Hurley just helplessly stared at the ball in the air.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Maurice stared up at the video board at center ice while the video played, remaining stoic.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stared
Verb
-
In the first image, Cole gazed lovingly at the Little Women star, who wrapped her arm around his shoulder.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As the train pulled into the precincts of Guilin, Martha and Joost gazed out the window at a series of pointy green hills poking up out of bright-orange soil.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 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
-
To capture the split-second movement, high-speed sensors peered through glass viewports, documenting every millisecond of the aerogel’s flight.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Stratton stopped at a large grate and peered down.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stared. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
