stare
verb (used without object)
to gaze fixedly and intently, especially with the eyes wide open.
were staring
-
past progressiveof stare.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At 124 for four, with leg-spinners Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid asking probing questions, Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
“She had her savings, which were being depleted. So, we were staring at the idea of spending her principal, and we’d keep going until it was all gone,” Pinsker writes.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 18, 2025
Instead, when they lost, Bradley’s decision became emblematic of why the Americans were staring at a historic deficit going into the final day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2025
The Bruins were staring into the abyss after Bankston ran for a two-yard touchdown that put the Lobos up 21-10 with 10:42 left in the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2025
The tall imp twisted Seth around, grabbed his upper arms, and hoisted him into the air so they were staring eye to eye.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
