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
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Recent Examples of watching
The fear people are expressing is not abstract, but the fear of a generation of adult children watching their parents age in a country that has not caught up to the math.
—
Neal K. Shah, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Lowering the speed of traffic would reduce the injuries from the daily rear-enders caused by drivers watching their phones.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Their horror was partly watching their son suffer, and another measure was the embarrassment of having a son with AIDS.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Dunne posted a video to her TikTok page, showing herself nervously watching Skenes work his magic.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Counsell was away from camp Friday and Saturday, watching Rowan, a junior at Whitefish Bay High School outside of Milwaukee, play in the Division 2 state semifinal and championship game.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The announcement was met with huge applause, after which Fillion directed the crowd — and anyone watching online — to interact with the news on social media.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Irene is perched not far away, watching them through binoculars.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
March is prime whale-watching season in Samaná.
—Annie Daly, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
Neal K. Shah, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Lowering the speed of traffic would reduce the injuries from the daily rear-enders caused by drivers watching their phones.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Their horror was partly watching their son suffer, and another measure was the embarrassment of having a son with AIDS.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Dunne posted a video to her TikTok page, showing herself nervously watching Skenes work his magic.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Counsell was away from camp Friday and Saturday, watching Rowan, a junior at Whitefish Bay High School outside of Milwaukee, play in the Division 2 state semifinal and championship game.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The announcement was met with huge applause, after which Fillion directed the crowd — and anyone watching online — to interact with the news on social media.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Irene is perched not far away, watching them through binoculars.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
March is prime whale-watching season in Samaná.
—Annie Daly, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watching
Verb
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The development comes just as the astronomical world brings online some of the most powerful sky-observing machines of all time, designed to push the limits of the human understanding of the universe.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Trump then toured the Thermo Fisher facility, observing packaging operations on the factory floor.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The department gave the following details about the incident, noting that no police officers fired weapons or were injured.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
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In a statement following his death, Crystal joined with other actors to honor Reiner's legacy.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Capability allows autonomous systems to perform multiple tasks This capability allows autonomous systems to perform tasks such as locating hostile radar emissions, monitoring communications, and supporting electronic countermeasures.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The Department of Streets and Sanitation said crews will be out through Monday morning, monitoring arterial streets, DuSable Lake Shore Drive, bridges, and overpasses to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles, public transportation, and other travelers.—
Albert Ramon,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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June 21 – July 22 Cancer, your caring voice guides the room.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
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Cancer June 21 – July 22 Cancer, your caring voice guides the room.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Theo is an audio-journalism veteran, having started her career at NPR as a fellow and rising to supervising producer of All Things Considered.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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Chona Kasinger | Bloomberg | Getty Images Microsoft said Thursday that Rajesh Jha, the software vendor’s highest-ranking executive supervising Office, is retiring in July after more than 35 years at the company.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Costco first proposed building a New England distribution center last summer, eying more than 400 acres of fields and woodlands that straddle the Plainfield and Canterbury border near I-395.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
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The Kremlin was eyeing an immediate boost.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Fred Tayco, executive director of the San Diego County Lodging Association, said the changes that would be made with the ballot measure are long overdue, noting that the city’s rules date back to a time when online travel booking didn’t yet exist.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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The man, who was identified as 65-year-old Long Beach resident Daren Duane Roland, died the next day, police said, noting that they were not notified of the death until Monday, March 16.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the push to tax the rich is about more than covering additional spending.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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Thomas Jones is the University of Texas beat reporter for the Austin American-Statesman covering Texas football, Texas men's basketball, Texas volleyball, Texas softball and other things Bevo.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watching. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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