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
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Recent Examples of staring
That's a lot of late nights and early mornings staring at the sky.
—
Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026
What Jaafar does amounts to an elaborate impression instead of an interpretation, re-creating the voice and the famous choreography and otherwise staring blankly into the middle distance when called upon to transmit emotions.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Near the Chesa is the war-time home of anti-fascist writer Annemarie Schwarzenbach, and the house where Nietzsche lived for seven years, its windows staring unflinchingly at the sheer peaks opposite, which can be hiked and skied depending on the season.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
The first 32 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft will begin primarily focused on a top tier that runs out quickly, and transition to a bunch of teams staring at the same cluster of offensive tackles, edge rushers and wide receivers.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Michael, who has been staring at the door, looks up and whispers in Lumet’s ear.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
Rendered with a deep blue backdrop and whorls of soft spring colors, La femme finds Lopez staring peaceably into the middle distance, holding a bouquet of flowers.
—News Desk, Artforum, 21 Apr. 2026
Christel Krueger peered through thick glass and murky water at the Berlin Zoo, staring in awe at a mother hippopotamus and her child sleeping on a sandbar.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026
What Jaafar does amounts to an elaborate impression instead of an interpretation, re-creating the voice and the famous choreography and otherwise staring blankly into the middle distance when called upon to transmit emotions.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Near the Chesa is the war-time home of anti-fascist writer Annemarie Schwarzenbach, and the house where Nietzsche lived for seven years, its windows staring unflinchingly at the sheer peaks opposite, which can be hiked and skied depending on the season.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
The first 32 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft will begin primarily focused on a top tier that runs out quickly, and transition to a bunch of teams staring at the same cluster of offensive tackles, edge rushers and wide receivers.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Michael, who has been staring at the door, looks up and whispers in Lumet’s ear.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
Rendered with a deep blue backdrop and whorls of soft spring colors, La femme finds Lopez staring peaceably into the middle distance, holding a bouquet of flowers.
—News Desk, Artforum, 21 Apr. 2026
Christel Krueger peered through thick glass and murky water at the Berlin Zoo, staring in awe at a mother hippopotamus and her child sleeping on a sandbar.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staring
Verb
-
One untitled work from 1994 shows a strange monster—a guard bent over, gazing back at us between his own legs, his upside-down grin framed by his jackboots.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Even without a treatment booking, guests may cycle through the hydrotherapy circuit—steam, sauna, hot and cold plunge—while gazing at city panoramas.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
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On a typical day, the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale reverberates with animal cries and the footfalls of gawking visitors.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staring. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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