LOOKING ON Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

looking on

verb

present participle of look on

as in staring

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for looking on

Verb

Before a first-down play from the Cleveland 20-yard line, Rodgers could be seen staring at the Pittsburgh sideline with his arms spread out, apparently waiting to receive the play from McCarthy.

— Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
More of the same people staring at the same problem in the same room.

— Duncan Wardle, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of staring

Verb

The more exaggerated interpretations, with oversized collars that swallow the chin or heavy embellishment, are the ones most at risk of looking dated once the search curve bends.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Far from throwing money away, renting is looking better by the day.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of looking

Verb

The bay facing the western shore of Newfoundland is the mouth—the gaping estuary—of the Saint Lawrence, Newfoundland on the chart detached and apparently drifting out to sea.

— Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
His shirt is cut open during the video to reveal what appears to be a gaping gunshot wound in his back.

— Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of gaping

Verb

Such an approach runs the risk of gawking at an unfamiliar people, their hegemonies and their ways of life, even with the best intentions.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
On most days the Jewel House in the Tower of London is packed with tourists gawking at the fabled British Crown Jewels.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of gawking

Verb

But the data gap was particularly glaring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, potentially missing 75% of the population, according to a recent paper co-authored by CDC statisticians.

— O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
Tensions over the Middle East Another glaring issue the two leaders could discuss is the widening conflict in the Middle East.

— Mariam Khan, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of glaring

Verb

Outside, the sun was shining brightly, a crowd had gathered, and even Carmen Machi (who received the National Film Award at this festival) was peering out from the hotel’s rooftop.

— Amaia Odriozola, Vanity Fair, 20 Sep. 2026
But dogs are everywhere — running loose, tied up, peering out of tents that line the sidewalk.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of peering

Verb

The sanctions legislation enjoyed broad bipartisan support, with US lawmakers and Ukrainian officials viewing it as a crucial mechanism to put more pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine before the winter.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
The report’s release comes just months after the March killing of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University freshman who was shot while viewing the Northern Lights with friends in a Chicago park.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of viewing

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.

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“Looking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looking%20on. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of looking on

verb

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