as in to gaze
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in gaze
a fixed intent look
caught the child's wide-eyed stare on film
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stare
Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Smartphones onstage can be weird and deadly, but one of the most striking moments in Jeena Yi’s Jesa happens as all the play’s actors are staring into one.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
Steve Buckley, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Her vacant stares are laced with just enough recognizable humanity to make the camera question what, if anything, is going on behind her eyes — a mystery that looms over the entire story.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stare
Verb
Before that incident, he is accused of staring at a woman and child for several minutes.
—Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Smartphones onstage can be weird and deadly, but one of the most striking moments in Jeena Yi’s Jesa happens as all the play’s actors are staring into one.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
The stares were blank and the handshakes perfunctory, because the Canadians know the value of silver as pertains to this tournament.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Her vacant stares are laced with just enough recognizable humanity to make the camera question what, if anything, is going on behind her eyes — a mystery that looms over the entire story.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stare
Verb
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Frenza whispers to herself, gazing at her reflection in the mirror with the bottle in her hand, raising a toast to her own intelligence and ironic wit, which are, in her opinion, her most powerful protections against the world.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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On a recent Monday afternoon in a small Mexican diner, not far from the 710 Freeway in East Los Angeles, Gricel Gonzalez, 57, gazed out the window at the avenue.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The batting cages, as both workplace and fan engagement tool, are located near that front entrance to the stadium and, with a door that rolls up much like your garage door might, are open for fans to gawk while players are getting their pre-game work in.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
16 Mar. 2026
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What to see today Walk or drive to gawk at the 20th-century gems like the Miller House and Garden, which blends history, nature and modern aesthetics.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stare. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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