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
Explore its extreme landscapes during the day on a scenic drive before watching the stars put on a show at night.
—
Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Here, there's a skin-crawling effect to watching the story unfold onstage.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Fans likely wouldn’t notice a difference the broadcasts, whether watching on cable or streaming.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Prevent future smells by watching cook times, cleaning regularly, and maintaining filters to stop buildup from burning.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
Is this a niche way of watching the show?
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
One of the cool things about watching Adam act is there aren’t bad takes.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Williams re-emerged from the field house and was running lightly on the side with a member of the training staff watching closely.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
It's infused in people's lives in such an incredible way, not just watching it.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Here, there's a skin-crawling effect to watching the story unfold onstage.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Fans likely wouldn’t notice a difference the broadcasts, whether watching on cable or streaming.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Prevent future smells by watching cook times, cleaning regularly, and maintaining filters to stop buildup from burning.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
Is this a niche way of watching the show?
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
One of the cool things about watching Adam act is there aren’t bad takes.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Williams re-emerged from the field house and was running lightly on the side with a member of the training staff watching closely.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
It's infused in people's lives in such an incredible way, not just watching it.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watching
Verb
-
The hotel helped launch the now-iconic neighborhood, observing the transformation of Rodeo Drive into a shopping mecca in the 1970s and countless Hollywood films being shot here.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Jan. 2026
-
After observing the city by helicopter, Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic ordered city snowplows to clear 250 school and Park District parking lots so residents could move their cars off the roads, but that effort was a failure.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And, in the aftermath, these were Chiefs coaches’ biggest regrets following a season gone awry.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The host noted the date of the insurrection, following President Joe Biden's win over Trump in the 2020 election for president, early on.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This type of system could be useful for monitoring transplant patients who need to take immunosuppressive drugs, or people with infections such as HIV or TB, who need treatment for an extended period of time.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Officers were in the area monitoring the situation and later cleared the scene.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The book describes the transition of the fictional Grinch, who had focused on the misunderstanding of materialism but was transformed by love and holiday spirit into a helpful, caring being who became part of the community.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
This is about caring about so many people who see each other every day ….—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Although Shirley’s video implied the day care was empty, several of the violations noted in that report involved overcrowding, with too many children in some rooms and too few adults supervising them.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
1 Jan. 2026
-
That’s one of the big goals of the San Diego Public Library’s winter reading challenge, explains Emily Derry, the library’s supervising librarian for youth and family services.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The valuation gap could be wide if OpenAI is eyeing $1 trillion, according to Nick Patience, who leads AI coverage at The Futurum Group.—
Tasmin Lockwood,
CNBC,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The project has been in development for the past few months, with Sweeney eyeing to return to star and exec produce, and co-star Michele Morrone also looking to reprise.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Citizens Utility Board expressed outrage at the request, noting the increase would push the utility's total rate increases to more than $1 billion in less than a decade.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Deputies found Carter deceased on the scene, noting that no foul play was suspected.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
First District Legislator Manny Abarca is sponsoring a piece of legislation calling for law enforcement officers in Jackson County — including federal immigration officers — to be prohibited from covering their faces or badges while on the job.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share