OBSERVING Synonyms: 274 Similar and Opposite Words

observing 1 of 3

adjective

as in participating

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Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in aware

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Dissimilar Words

observing

2 of 3

noun

as in observation

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observing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of observe

as in obeying

to act according to the commands of you must observe all the rules of this school, not simply the ones that meet with your personal approval

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in celebrating

to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony a time when few people in New England observed Christmas

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in watching

to keep one's eyes on happily spent many hours observing the birds at the backyard feeder

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as in reflecting

to make a statement of one's opinion "I think you might be mistaken," he observed

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as in noticing

to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes she observed that the weather had changed again

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in following

to take notice of and be guided by generally observes the suggestions of the experts regarding baby care

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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 observing

Noun

Fundy Dark-Sky Preserve, New Brunswick Fundy National Park offers reasonably dark skies and accessible observing locations along the Bay of Fundy coast. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 19 July 2026 Swift receives more annual observing requests than any NASA facility except the James Webb Space Telescope, and its scientific portfolio is broad, extending to comets and planets in other solar systems. — Anna Y. Q. Ho, Scientific American, 29 June 2026 That something has to do with who or what is on the other side of observation, as well as who or what is doing the observing. — Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026 With upcoming observing runs from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration expected to deliver even more data, scientists hope to refine these categories and test whether this three-family model truly holds. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 12 Apr. 2026 For an even more enhanced observing experience, find a dark environment away from bright lights to attend the total eclipse show. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026 There is discussion in the news nationwide about legal observing and know-your-rights training sessions. — Heidi Reynolds-Stenson, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2026 In civil-rights circles, that work falls under the broad definition of legal observing. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026 In fact, during the first period of the fourth observing run (known as O4A), LIGO saw more gravitational wave events than from all previous observing runs combined. — Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025

Verb

Bonitto, meanwhile, wasn’t in pads Wednesday but was seen observing and moving around without any signs of obvious discomfort after suffering an apparent left-leg injury during Tuesday’s practice. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 The city of Aurora came together Tuesday evening to join the rest of the country in observing National Night Out, a country-wide initiative begun in 1984 to promote neighborhood safety and bring communities closer together. — David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 Orbiting spacecraft had the best chance of witnessing anything — or at least observing the crater after the fact. — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 Anyone with information about the suspect may call the department’s Special Victims Unit at 510-238-3641 or call 911 if observing him. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 Accessories that made the deal even better The telescope came with everything needed to start observing that same night. — Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Parsons then does an hour of post-rehab and participates in meetings before observing the team’s daily evening walk-through inside the stadium. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Employees learn whether governance is real by observing what happens when speed conflicts with safety, revenue conflicts with fairness, or an executive sponsor receives unwelcome evidence. — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 In her peaceful neighborhood outside Tokyo, this loner spends more time observing her surroundings than acting upon them, save for her habit of regularly stealing random objects to throw into the school incinerator. — Elena Lazic, Variety, 25 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for observing

Adjective

Legal observers are neutral, non-participating watchers who often attend police actions to witness, document and monitor law enforcement behavior.

— George Petras, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Some of that can surely be chalked up to missing out on the rest and recharge that non-participating players took advantage of during that break, and McLellan confirmed recently that Larkin came back from the tournament banged up, which hampered him.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

Definition of participating

Adjective

With elite experience and versatility, Cancelo is a bargain signing for Flick and Barça while already aware of how things work at the Spotify Camp Nou tactically and cultureally.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Drivers should pay extra attention while passing through work zones and be aware of all workers and repair equipment.

— Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of aware

Noun

There will also be multicultural food vendors, an international marketplace, community art projects, drum circles, youth soccer, interactive art activities and family programming designed to encourage participation rather than simply observation.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
This proactive approach, combining data analysis with direct observation and long-term vision, positions them for superior returns.

— James Nelson, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of observation

Verb

Diba says that the restaurant is often home to big groups, who are there either celebrating an event or simply bringing out friends and family to enjoy a feast.

— Colin Wrenn, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026
That hasn't stopped fans from celebrating the apparent return of her natural color.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of celebrating

Verb

Nearby, guests participating in the butterfly release carefully held small containers before opening them and watching the butterflies take flight.

— Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
These very same donors, Eustis said, are the ones who feel most excited to be sitting among the citizenry in Central Park, watching the beauty of public art unfold in a joyous communal atmosphere.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of watching

Verb

But revenue at the company’s container shipping segment soared 22 percent to a shade under $10 billion, mainly reflecting an average revenue of $1,575 per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) transported.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026
Lightning flashed, reflecting a blue shining light in Kikuko’s eyes.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of reflecting

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observes

observing

obsess

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Style

“Observing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observing. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of observing

adjective

noun

verb

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