1
as in observing
to keep one's eyes on
I turned my head to continue watching the bird as it flew away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in following
to take notice of and be guided by
watch what I do when I run into that kind of problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in monitoring
to pay continued close attention to (something) for a particular purpose
watched the situation to see if it improved
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in caring
to have an interest or concern for
you should watch what you eat if you want a long, healthy life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in supervising
to take charge of especially on behalf of another
hired a high school girl to watch their daughter until they got home from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 watching
The Scolding, 1965, a claustrophobic portrait of jaundiced and blotchy figures watching a contretemps, has some of the unsettling atmosphere of James Ensor’s 1890 canvas The Intrigue, in which a clutch of masked figures presses in on the viewer.
—
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Undoubtedly Oslo’s most attractive contemporary hangout for summer, watching color-shifting cloudscapes and islands blur like a Munch canvas from the rooftop terrace.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Shakespeare’s comedies especially understand the joy of watching people get trapped in schemes and plots well beyond their control.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Also worth watching is HBO’s third installment of the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
If studios just become more confident in betting on what Gen-Z and Gen Alpha audiences are already watching, instead of what their parents and grandparents watched, there’s no reason that the success can’t be repeated.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
When Adele went home with Jasper that evening, Dean and her half brothers were watching TV together in the living room.
—Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Jocytė had her first full practice with the Valkyries on Sunday, after watching from the sidelines during Golden State’s recent two-game road trip.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
The first half had the feel of watching Jesus’ testimonial, as generous team-mates and sloppy Palace defenders conspired to grant him a series of goalscoring opportunities.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Undoubtedly Oslo’s most attractive contemporary hangout for summer, watching color-shifting cloudscapes and islands blur like a Munch canvas from the rooftop terrace.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Shakespeare’s comedies especially understand the joy of watching people get trapped in schemes and plots well beyond their control.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Also worth watching is HBO’s third installment of the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
If studios just become more confident in betting on what Gen-Z and Gen Alpha audiences are already watching, instead of what their parents and grandparents watched, there’s no reason that the success can’t be repeated.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
When Adele went home with Jasper that evening, Dean and her half brothers were watching TV together in the living room.
—Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Jocytė had her first full practice with the Valkyries on Sunday, after watching from the sidelines during Golden State’s recent two-game road trip.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
The first half had the feel of watching Jesus’ testimonial, as generous team-mates and sloppy Palace defenders conspired to grant him a series of goalscoring opportunities.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watching
Verb
-
Then be sure to read our picks of the best telescopes and binoculars for exploring the night sky, along with our beginner's guide to observing the moon!—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
-
The development of this model came from observing a recurring gap.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But Tanner Griffith led with a base hit off UCLA reliever Cal Randall and — after being moved to second following a sacrifice bunt from Diego Castellanos — catcher Ian Armstrong brought Griffith home with an RBI single to right field off Hawk.—
Joaquin Ruiz,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Roughly 35 horses bolted through city streets following the unexpected fireworks, the outlet said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The system operates in layers, with different agents monitoring different distances and threat levels.—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is monitoring whether or not GLP-1s will be considered as performance-enhancing.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Regardless of gender, those who apologize more frequently are seen as caring, communal, warm and likable people, according to Schumann.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
Justice is a social, caring young person with a great sense of humor that easily brings smiles to those around him.—
MARE Staff,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead of acting as intermediaries, humans focus on defining policies, supervising system behavior and handling exceptions.—
Krupesh Bhat,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The defendant, 36, who has not been publicly identified, is accused of assaulting children while supervising them in bathrooms, during lunch breaks and in after-school care between August 2024 and April 2025.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Garrett makes the point, yep, Democrats are going to be eyeing it.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
-
His $10 million adaptation of his viral YouTube short film series is eyeing the biggest opening in A24 history, with at least $80 million.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Additionally, the Department of the Interior is conducting site surveys, like geotechnical work, which is statutorily required, the White House said, noting that the surveys are standard practice to test the grounds and soil.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
But the idea that foreign influence is seeding a populist campaign against AI facilities is far-fetched, experts told Semafor last month, noting that Chinese media is instead likely exploiting existing US divisions over the tech.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Then on April 3rd, 2020, the CDC recommended people ages 2 years and older wear a cloth face covering in public.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
Allison Schrager is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering economics.—
Allison Schrager,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watching. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
