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
His hands were at ten and two, his face fixed, staring straight ahead.
—
Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of seizures can include short-term confusion, staring spells, stiff muscles and jerking movements of the arms and legs.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
To just staring into the middle distance.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Down nine on the road with three minutes to go, the arena roaring and the Cleveland Cavaliers 180 seconds from staring at yet another second-round elimination game on Friday.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 14 May 2026
During an interview with Access Hollywood, Cranston suggested that the scene is so wild that viewers will be staring in shock at the TV.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
There are no notifications buzzing on your wrist, no numbers staring back at you during the day.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
So, sometimes silence and solitude is necessary, and just like sitting on a plane watching nothing, doing nothing, just staring blankly at … it's called raw-dogging a flight.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
According to the criminal complaint in that case, a woman at a coffee shop drive-thru reported seeing a man, later identified as Trepanier, at the back of the building with his pants down and masturbating while staring at her.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of seizures can include short-term confusion, staring spells, stiff muscles and jerking movements of the arms and legs.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
To just staring into the middle distance.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Down nine on the road with three minutes to go, the arena roaring and the Cleveland Cavaliers 180 seconds from staring at yet another second-round elimination game on Friday.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 14 May 2026
During an interview with Access Hollywood, Cranston suggested that the scene is so wild that viewers will be staring in shock at the TV.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
There are no notifications buzzing on your wrist, no numbers staring back at you during the day.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
So, sometimes silence and solitude is necessary, and just like sitting on a plane watching nothing, doing nothing, just staring blankly at … it's called raw-dogging a flight.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
According to the criminal complaint in that case, a woman at a coffee shop drive-thru reported seeing a man, later identified as Trepanier, at the back of the building with his pants down and masturbating while staring at her.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staring
Verb
-
Since time immemorial, humans gazing up at the moon have asked grand questions.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Other communities, such as Malibu, have developed ordinances to reduce glare and artificial light, as has Joshua Tree National Park, a star-gazing haven that is designated an International Dark Sky Park.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 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 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
