as in gazing
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 staring
Instead, The Mandalorian and Grogu is staring at a third-place finish behind writer-director Curry Barker’s Obsession.
—
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
Shaina laid on her cot all night, staring at the ceiling, processing all the ways her life was changing.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
The club has dropped six of eight games, so far, and is staring at another potential sweep Wednesday.
—Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
In any other context, a house of God smattered with people staring at their phones, trusting AI to speak to them, might feel sacrilegious.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 26 May 2026
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said Jocytė would be on a minutes restriction regardless but with the lead getting larger and the eyes of the crowd staring at Jocytė on the bench, there was an overwhelming feeling that Jocytė was going to be on the floor at some point.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Not that romance, here, means anything beyond hand-holding and giggling while awkwardly staring into each other’s eyes.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 25 May 2026
For the first time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avs’ mortality was staring them in the face.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
But the biggest thing worth cheering for is that fans won’t have to spend hours staring at brake lights on I-95.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
Shaina laid on her cot all night, staring at the ceiling, processing all the ways her life was changing.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
The club has dropped six of eight games, so far, and is staring at another potential sweep Wednesday.
—Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
In any other context, a house of God smattered with people staring at their phones, trusting AI to speak to them, might feel sacrilegious.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 26 May 2026
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said Jocytė would be on a minutes restriction regardless but with the lead getting larger and the eyes of the crowd staring at Jocytė on the bench, there was an overwhelming feeling that Jocytė was going to be on the floor at some point.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Not that romance, here, means anything beyond hand-holding and giggling while awkwardly staring into each other’s eyes.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 25 May 2026
For the first time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avs’ mortality was staring them in the face.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
But the biggest thing worth cheering for is that fans won’t have to spend hours staring at brake lights on I-95.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staring
Verb
-
As a scorching wind tears across the barren, rocky slopes of Komote Island off the shore of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, Alfred Lenkutuk sits in the meager shelter of his hut, gazing out over the village where he was born and remembering better times.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
-
There are humans bustling everywhere, walking, lifting, turning blind corners and gazing upwards.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
This seemingly reflexive action of whipping out their phones while gawking and filming isn’t a novel occurrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
Those are important characteristics for advertisers seeking to make dynamic campaigns for an audience that's grown accustomed to viewing short-form videos on Reels or gawking at cat photos on Facebook and Instagram.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staring. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
