as in gazes
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
as in eyes
a fixed intent look
caught the child's wide-eyed stare on film
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stares
Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2026
When Robbie first strokes the plush walls, her Cathy stares with the appropriate mix of awe and terror.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
As Ji Seon stares in shock, her friends cheer in the background, chanting at her to say yes, ha.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Providing some respite from the violent mayhem are scenes in which Manafort stares intently at computer screens tracking what’s going on and the new MI6 chief (Ackie) barks orders at her underlings.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
Dot stands patiently in heavy fabrics on a Sunday, while George stares at her with a razor focus that never penetrates her soul.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Another stares straight ahead, revealing no emotion, a mystery deepened by the bags under her eyes and the safety pin stabbed through her nose.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025
Further back, Pablo Picasso takes a gentle rest on his haunches and stares off into space.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Kylie asks as Bennett just stares silently.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Steve Buckley, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Her vacant stares are laced with just enough recognizable humanity to make the camera question what, if anything, is going on behind her eyes — a mystery that looms over the entire story.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Awkward giggles and ruthless stares punctuate silence until the blind matriarch (played by Tracy Letts) asks his daughter to describe Martha’s (Elle Fanning) appearance to him in exhaustive detail.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Indeed, compared with the realistically creased faces and hangdog stares of the Cubs, the Boston fans behind them are closer to grotesques, an inhuman crush of caricatures.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
At the gym, located in Garden Grove, Hansen says they were met with unwelcoming and leering stares before entering the facility.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Salerno claims her team was disqualified from the following meet and then began to face intimidating stares from the trans athlete at public events.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
But, if dressed in modern attire, this prehistoric relative may not have drawn too many stares on a subway train.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
Transitioning away from family has its benefits and drawbacks, but most of us eventually have to face the challenge of walking through the front door again for the first time as our true selves, seeing familiar faces and fielding uncomfortable stares.
—Sydney Bauer, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Verb
Nearby, Ella Dalton stares into a copy of Normal People by Sally Rooney, and Mahi Kabra lounges by the hair-washing sinks holding A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2026
When Robbie first strokes the plush walls, her Cathy stares with the appropriate mix of awe and terror.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
As Ji Seon stares in shock, her friends cheer in the background, chanting at her to say yes, ha.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Providing some respite from the violent mayhem are scenes in which Manafort stares intently at computer screens tracking what’s going on and the new MI6 chief (Ackie) barks orders at her underlings.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
Dot stands patiently in heavy fabrics on a Sunday, while George stares at her with a razor focus that never penetrates her soul.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Another stares straight ahead, revealing no emotion, a mystery deepened by the bags under her eyes and the safety pin stabbed through her nose.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025
Further back, Pablo Picasso takes a gentle rest on his haunches and stares off into space.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Kylie asks as Bennett just stares silently.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Noun
The stares were blank and the handshakes perfunctory, because the Canadians know the value of silver as pertains to this tournament.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Her vacant stares are laced with just enough recognizable humanity to make the camera question what, if anything, is going on behind her eyes — a mystery that looms over the entire story.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Awkward giggles and ruthless stares punctuate silence until the blind matriarch (played by Tracy Letts) asks his daughter to describe Martha’s (Elle Fanning) appearance to him in exhaustive detail.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Indeed, compared with the realistically creased faces and hangdog stares of the Cubs, the Boston fans behind them are closer to grotesques, an inhuman crush of caricatures.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
At the gym, located in Garden Grove, Hansen says they were met with unwelcoming and leering stares before entering the facility.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Salerno claims her team was disqualified from the following meet and then began to face intimidating stares from the trans athlete at public events.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
But, if dressed in modern attire, this prehistoric relative may not have drawn too many stares on a subway train.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
Transitioning away from family has its benefits and drawbacks, but most of us eventually have to face the challenge of walking through the front door again for the first time as our true selves, seeing familiar faces and fielding uncomfortable stares.
—Sydney Bauer, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stares
Verb
-
Tuxedoed servers wear playing-card pins on their lapels; a slot machine in the entryway shaped like a life-size Doc Holliday gazes at diners with uncanny intensity.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Curving around the glistening, glacial Sarmiento Lake, an amphitheater of rooms gazes up at the Paine massif, with scenes constantly shifting depending on the time of day.—
Sarah Marshall,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The floor-to-ceiling glass doors that line the west-facing wall to make the most of a stunning hillside view are easily blocked from light and prying eyes by curtains at the push of a button.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Harsh, Overhead Lighting Stressing your eyes with bright, artificial lighting overhead can make focusing a challenge and even throw your body’s natural circadian rhythm out of whack, says Rousell.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stares. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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