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
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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
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3
as in monitoring
to pay continued close attention to (something) for a particular purpose
watched the situation to see if it improved
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4
as in caring
to have an interest or concern for
you should watch what you eat if you want a long, healthy life
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of watching
Explore its extreme landscapes during the day on a scenic drive before watching the stars put on a show at night.
—
Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Here, there's a skin-crawling effect to watching the story unfold onstage.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Fans likely wouldn’t notice a difference the broadcasts, whether watching on cable or streaming.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Prevent future smells by watching cook times, cleaning regularly, and maintaining filters to stop buildup from burning.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
Is this a niche way of watching the show?
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
One of the cool things about watching Adam act is there aren’t bad takes.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Williams re-emerged from the field house and was running lightly on the side with a member of the training staff watching closely.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
It's infused in people's lives in such an incredible way, not just watching it.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watching
Verb
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When Armistice Day became a federal holiday in 1938, many states had already begun observing it.—
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Health inspectors cited the Sacramento grocery store after observing staff washing raw meat display plates in the preparation sink using handwashing soap and water.—
Verb
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And, in the aftermath, these were Chiefs coaches’ biggest regrets following a season gone awry.—
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The host noted the date of the insurrection, following President Joe Biden's win over Trump in the 2020 election for president, early on.—
Verb
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This type of system could be useful for monitoring transplant patients who need to take immunosuppressive drugs, or people with infections such as HIV or TB, who need treatment for an extended period of time.—
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Officers were in the area monitoring the situation and later cleared the scene.—
Verb
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The book describes the transition of the fictional Grinch, who had focused on the misunderstanding of materialism but was transformed by love and holiday spirit into a helpful, caring being who became part of the community.—
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This is about caring about so many people who see each other every day ….—
Verb
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Although Shirley’s video implied the day care was empty, several of the violations noted in that report involved overcrowding, with too many children in some rooms and too few adults supervising them.—
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That’s one of the big goals of the San Diego Public Library’s winter reading challenge, explains Emily Derry, the library’s supervising librarian for youth and family services.—
Verb
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The valuation gap could be wide if OpenAI is eyeing $1 trillion, according to Nick Patience, who leads AI coverage at The Futurum Group.—
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The project has been in development for the past few months, with Sweeney eyeing to return to star and exec produce, and co-star Michele Morrone also looking to reprise.—
Verb
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Citizens Utility Board expressed outrage at the request, noting the increase would push the utility's total rate increases to more than $1 billion in less than a decade.—
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Deputies found Carter deceased on the scene, noting that no foul play was suspected.—
Verb
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Emma Burleigh is a reporter at Fortune, covering success, careers, entrepreneurship, and personal finance.—
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Bedford said during the news conference that air traffic controllers continuing to work during the shutdown are covering longer hours and more days.—
Cite this Entry
“Watching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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