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 depth here will be worth watching.
—
Josh Kendall, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The cheer champ was spotted watching in the stands and sporting glam (and often pointed) outfits on the sidelines as the Tar Heels played through a rocky season.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Traore’s intrigue in the sport was originally sparked by watching UK programming on American football across the pond.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
The wide-ranging conversation also included a bold quarterback prediction and reflections on watching the NFL draft as a bystander for the first time in two decades.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Silicon Valley is watching carefully.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Merriman recalled watching the event as well as Stardom’s show.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
When in Kentucky—or at least, when watching the Kentucky Derby—why not whip up some easy, cheesy Kentucky Beer Cheese?
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
In addition to those watching in person, many more will be following along from home.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Josh Kendall, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The cheer champ was spotted watching in the stands and sporting glam (and often pointed) outfits on the sidelines as the Tar Heels played through a rocky season.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Traore’s intrigue in the sport was originally sparked by watching UK programming on American football across the pond.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
The wide-ranging conversation also included a bold quarterback prediction and reflections on watching the NFL draft as a bystander for the first time in two decades.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Silicon Valley is watching carefully.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Merriman recalled watching the event as well as Stardom’s show.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
When in Kentucky—or at least, when watching the Kentucky Derby—why not whip up some easy, cheesy Kentucky Beer Cheese?
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
In addition to those watching in person, many more will be following along from home.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watching
Verb
-
Now, as members adjust to the Rewards revamp, Starbucks is observing early signals that customers are leaning in to benefit from the loyalty program's new deals.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In the new study, published on Wednesday in Scientific Reports, University of Cambridge biological anthropologist Sylvain Lemoine and his team report observing the macaques intentionally eating soil, dirt and clay—a practice known as geophagy.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pau Cubarsi was back to his best, as was Pedri, who appeared to have lost some of his characteristic spark in recent matches following his return from a hamstring injury.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In the months following, a federal judge temporarily blocked the termination of TPS for Haitian immigrants, granting a reprieve to nearly 57,000 Haitian TPS holders in New York.—
Dr. Alister Martin,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There is some special vision here worth monitoring.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The company fears that in an effort to crack down on espionage, the Defense Department might create monitoring capabilities that supersede even the Chinese Communist Party’s, sliding America into an autocratic AI regime.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The key cabin crew are flight attendants Penny (Lucy Barrett) and Zoe (Na Shi), both of whom demonstrate bravery, to different ends, and show caring attention to the terrified children.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, as Quick reported, Dundon has already been canvassing the basketball world for Splitter’s possible replacement while clearly not caring about the awful optics.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chavez, a 78-year-old retiree who worked as a foreman supervising construction at the site, also disappeared in May 2025, according to Los Alamos police.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Goldwyn served as writer and supervising producer on Emily in Paris, and writer on SMILF and Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, among others.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Stays come in the form of historic palaces like Palazzu Nicrosi, perched on the hillside, or Le Couvent de Pozzo, a 15th-century convent converted into a guesthouse with a centerpiece pool eyeing the Italian island of Elba.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The federal government was at one point eyeing Kansas City to build an immigration detention facility, and private prison company CoreCivic successfully reopened a center in Leavenworth, Kansas, despite local opposition.—
Sofi Zeman
April 25,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Outside experts generally agreed with the government’s assessment, noting that small amounts of substances such as heavy metals are naturally occurring in the environment.—
Jonel Aleccia,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
An OpenAI spokesperson disputed that allegation, noting that the email the company sends to users who have been deactivated does not include information about creating a new account.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Sunday.—
Katie Simons,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Before the Hill, Cusack was a reporter and editor for Inside Washington Publishers, covering the Labor Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.—
Bob Cusack,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watching. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
