WATCHING Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

watching

verb

present participle of watch

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

as in following

to take notice of and be guided by watch what I do when I run into that kind of problem

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in monitoring

to pay continued close attention to (something) for a particular purpose watched the situation to see if it improved

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as in caring

to have an interest or concern for you should watch what you eat if you want a long, healthy life

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 Nearby, guests participating in the butterfly release carefully held small containers before opening them and watching the butterflies take flight. — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026 These very same donors, Eustis said, are the ones who feel most excited to be sitting among the citizenry in Central Park, watching the beauty of public art unfold in a joyous communal atmosphere. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 Typing, reading, watching videos and browsing social media all work wonderfully on it. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Of course, Boone’s exasperation came from watching the Yankees lose their second game in extra innings in a row to the Chicago White Sox, this time a 2-1 heartbreaker in 11 frames. — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 31 July 2026 The man is then seen lighting the red Corvette on fire but stays at the scene watching the car burn from across the street, according to police. — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Downtown residents watching Sundance Square’s slow reinvention have a lot to track this year. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026 Its more than 440 vertebrate species include 39 fishes, 64 reptiles, 50 mammals and 235 birds (which make the Okefenokee a prime bird watching venue). — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026 Lastly, a bar offering sake and beer, lined with TVs for watching sports, is in the works. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 24 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for watching

Verb

Employees learn whether governance is real by observing what happens when speed conflicts with safety, revenue conflicts with fairness, or an executive sponsor receives unwelcome evidence.

— Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Birding, the practice of observing birds in their natural habitat and also known as bird-watching, has experienced a renaissance in recent years.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Definition of observing

Verb

In one instance, Moreno alleged that Miller, 37, began verbally harassing one of her attorneys following a court hearing in May 2026.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Stribling has impressed during training camp and could have a significant role as a slot receiver following the departure of Jauan Jennings in free agency to the Minnesota Vikings.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of following

Verb

While the likes of Ossola wait patiently for their cases to be resolved, others are carefully monitoring the situation.

— Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
With the rise of wearable technology (and a growing obsession with tracking our health), VO2 is now something many of us are monitoring.

— Hannah Coates, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of monitoring

Verb

Seven of 10 adult child caregivers have taken a hit to their job or career to keep caring, and nearly 1 in 3 have raided or scaled back their own retirement savings, Bay Alarm Medical said.

— Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
With his caring heart, inquisitive mind, and joyful spirit, Adam has so much to offer.

— CBS News, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Definition of caring

Verb

What used to be just a one-button trigger to call up an app has evolved into a multi-button, multi-input device for supervising and orchestrating multiple AI tools and agents at once.

— Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
Corrupt naval officers turned ports they were supposed to be supervising into bribe-laden smuggling hubs, authorities say.

— Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of supervising

Verb

Darline, who is eyeing a full term after being appointed by the governor to serve through January, was photographed weeping by her brother’s casket at the Capitol Rotunda earlier on Tuesday.

— Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
Such firms – and many others worldwide – are eyeing a market that is poised to accelerate at speed.

— David Prosser, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of eyeing

Verb

Mundo Deportivo corroborates these key figures, while noting that Cancelo only has a year left on his contract at Al-Hilal.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Last year’s total was more like 80 to 100 kids, Fozo said, noting that a local marketing campaign was undertaken this time at local schools as well as partnering with three elementary schools in the area.

— David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of noting

Verb

Peter van Duijvendijk is a flood defense manager at the Schieland en de Krimpenerwaard water corporation, one of 21 such organizations covering the Netherlands that are responsible for issues including flood control.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
That left those covered by Obamacare increasingly facing difficult choices of sucking up extra expenses — while also covering the basics of life, such as rent and food costs — or even forgoing coverage altogether.

— Nick Thomas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026