WATCHING Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

watching

verb

present participle of watch

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

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 women did not speak to the media after watching the footage. — Marissa Armas, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 The final minutes of the 49ers’ preseason opener wound down, and Nick Bosa headed down from the press-box level after watching from afar Thursday night. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026 Given such a tough environment, economists are closely watching how families spend during the back-to-school shopping season, the second largest shopping period for retailers after the winter holidays. — Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026 The effect is of watching someone float around the outside of a safe space. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 In other words, someone who exercises regularly but also spends many hours each day watching television still has additional risks for worse cognitive health because of their passive sedentary behavior. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 The question reflected my own years spent watching youth tournaments at Anaheim's American Sports Centers alongside thousands of volleyball families. — Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 After watching an interview with Savannah Bananas founder-owner Jesse Cole, Travis thought there could be a market for a similar brand of family-friendly entertainment here. — Chris Placek, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Christa McAuliffe was going to teach lessons from space, so among those watching the launch from a cold Cape Canaveral in Florida were tens of thousands of schoolchildren. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for watching

Verb

For more information, check out our guide to observing the sun safely.

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The hubbub from the restaurant immediately stops for a moment (with Ninh observing the loud pot smash from an open doorway), before the patrons soon enough resume their conversations at basically the exact same noise level.

— Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of observing

Verb

Encouraged by his son, Michael, Storch held talks over becoming a minority shareholder at Reading alongside fellow American Rob Couhig, before believing a full takeover of Cardiff City was possible following their relegation to League One.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
With King's termination, two Brinker employees have now been fired following the allegations involving Campbell.

— Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of following

Verb

As the outbreak spreads and kills people faster than any other outbreak of the disease in history, a major source of concern for monitoring efforts is miners constantly on the move and in hard-to-reach, unsafe territories.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
The Justice Department said approximately four attorneys from its Civil Rights Division are monitoring polls in Miami-Dade.

— Sergio Candido, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of monitoring

Verb

Filmiki’s Nikolas Alavanos is co-producer with Steve Solomos as supervising producer.

— Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Hartman has worked for Johnson Brothers Maverick beverage distribution company for a few years now, and has experience supervising the bar at The Adolphus Hotel.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of supervising

Verb

Though Wisconsin is currently held by a Democratic governor, Republicans are hoping to take back the seat this November, riding the coattails of Trump flipping the state in 2024 and eyeing the possible opportunity to take on socialist Hong.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2026
Chip giant Nvidia is eyeing the possibility of turning its artificial intelligence chips into Wall Street's newest asset class.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of eyeing

Verb

Crisp poplin picks aren’t the only nighties worth noting—longline maxis have endless versatility throughout the season, as do slinky black slips.

— Laura Jackson, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Community member Joe Hood expressed his support for the ban, noting the health risks associated with plastic, such as microplastics entering the body.

— Frankie Rowley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of noting

Verb

Journalists argue this creates a severe conflict of interest and raises critical data security concerns, especially given past assaults on reporters covering immigration enforcement.

— Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Said alleges that the companies later mishandled her requests for medical accommodations following an assignment covering the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026