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 riverboat, meanwhile, continues its drift towards the bridge, which is populated with bystanders (and one really cute corgi).
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025
After the stabbing, at least one bystander intervened and separated the victim from his attacker.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The lawyer has been involved with a slew of other high-profile gun cases, including that of Eli Dicken, an armed bystander lauded as a hero after killing an active shooter at the Greenwood Park Mall in 2022.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
As the Jeep careened along the narrow two-lane road, Starling honked the horn, pounded the windshield and screamed to try and get a bystander to notice.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 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.
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025
After the stabbing, at least one bystander intervened and separated the victim from his attacker.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The lawyer has been involved with a slew of other high-profile gun cases, including that of Eli Dicken, an armed bystander lauded as a hero after killing an active shooter at the Greenwood Park Mall in 2022.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
As the Jeep careened along the narrow two-lane road, Starling honked the horn, pounded the windshield and screamed to try and get a bystander to notice.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 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 16 Nov. 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