observing 1 of 3

adjective

1
as in participating

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Relevance

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2
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
1
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
2
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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3
as in watching
to keep one's eyes on happily spent many hours observing the birds at the backyard feeder

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4
as in reflecting
to make a statement of one's opinion "I think you might be mistaken," he observed

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5
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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6
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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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
In contrast to the hazy skies of late summer, October often presents a richer, deeper blue by day and some of the year's finest observing conditions after dark. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 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
Verb
Here, again, Harbach demonstrates a profound gift for observing individuals and their relationships. — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The spacecraft will spend its first few months in the Martian system observing Phobos from different altitudes, using its TENGOO and OROCHI cameras, LIDAR and MSA to map the moon's surface, study its composition and select potential landing sites. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026 To make this documentary, Fielder, Oppenheim, and their crew camped out with Holmes, her partner Billy Evans, and their two small children, observing their lives up-close—or as up-close as possible. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 The temple, the largest in Aurora, was crowded Sunday with thousands observing the first day of Navaratri, a nine-night celebration of Shakti -- the divine feminine energy believed to be foundational to all creation. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 That meant standing outside schools as kids left for the day, observing amateur theater groups, and attending political demonstrations in Paris. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 In observing the data, the chart analyst wrote that the median time remaining before a cycle reached its peak was 13 months, which suggests 2027 could be the final leg of the run. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 Yes, the stock market is open on Columbus Day, with neither the New York Stock Exchange nor the Nasdaq market observing it as a holiday. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 In the late 1700s, British scientists ran bold experiments on thermoregulation, subjecting themselves (and a dog) to a piping hot room and observing that — unlike the steak and eggs accompanying them — their own bodies did not cook. — Will Stone, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observing
  1. participating
  2. aware
  3. observation
  4. obeying
  5. celebrating
  6. watching
  7. reflecting
  8. noticing
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
  • According to Oracle's customer communications, the company became aware of the incident around February 20, 2025.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • While Netanyahu has sought to project confidence, Trump is well aware of the prime minister’s difficult political position.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of aware
Noun
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Matt Schnaars, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro’s observations in a separate session.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of observation
Verb
  • People are riding e-bikes and e-motorcycles, sometimes riding recklessly, traveling at high speeds, or not obeying the rules of the road.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The department reminds motorists to drive cautiously through the area, obeying posted speed limit and road work signage.
    — Isabelle Foland, Des Moines Register, 19 July 2026
Definition of obeying
Verb
  • In 2027 the film festival also joins Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival in celebrating eight decades of creativity and bringing audiences together in the Scottish capital.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That the accusation is being made against an African writer about a prize celebrating African writing is something others have noticed and called out.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of celebrating
Verb
  • This album was his 3-1 comeback after watching his career nearly flatline.
    — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Sitting at 2-3 and watching their defense get pushed around on a weekly basis, the entire unit gathered behind closed doors on Monday morning to air out their issues.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of watching
Verb
  • On the north side, a new seating amphitheater would border the reflecting pool, while glass walls would be installed between the museum’s neoclassical columns.
    — Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The company also raised its full-year earnings outlook, reflecting continued progress on its turnaround plan.
    — TipRanks.com staff, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of reflecting
Verb
  • On one occasion in November 2023, a neighbor called police to one of the homes on Arlington’s Woodbrook Street after noticing a man had fallen in the backyard and seemed unable to get up.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That’s a student sitting in a cafeteria or a locker room, noticing a name on a banner or a jersey and deciding on their own that the brand behind it is worth trusting.
    — Karl Mawhinney, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of noticing

Browse Nearby Words

observes
observing
obsess
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Cite this Entry

“Observing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observing. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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