bystander
noun
by·stand·er
ˈbī-ˌstan-dər 
: one who is present but not taking part in a situation or event : a chance spectator
innocent bystanders who were injured in the shooting
Examples of bystander in a Sentence
Two innocent bystanders were injured in the shooting.
bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging
Recent Examples on the Web
The owner of a Main Street bar said his employee was an innocent bystander when gunfire erupted Downtown Sunday.
—
Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
White also struck an innocent bystander, an adult male, who was sitting in a separate car.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The juvenile victim, who lives in Lake City, was simply attempting to find cover and was an innocent bystander.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
The attack—caught on camera in broad daylight in Paris—was only thwarted thanks to the quick action of her partner and alert bystanders.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bystander
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.
Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
White also struck an innocent bystander, an adult male, who was sitting in a separate car.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The juvenile victim, who lives in Lake City, was simply attempting to find cover and was an innocent bystander.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
The attack—caught on camera in broad daylight in Paris—was only thwarted thanks to the quick action of her partner and alert bystanders.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bystander
Cite this Entry
“Bystander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bystander. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bystander
noun
by·stand·er
-ˌstan-dər
: a person standing near but taking no part in what is happening
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share