bear witness
idiom
1
: to show that something exists or is true
—+ to
His success bears witness to the value of hard work.
Rising ticket sales bear witness to the band's popularity.
2
formal
: to make a statement saying that one saw or knows something
asked to bear witness to the facts
She was accused of bearing false witness at the trial.
Examples of bear witness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pilgrimage churches, simple sanctuaries, hospitals, bridges, roadside crosses bear witness to the spiritual and physical aspects of the pilgrimages.
—
Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Like a quarter of a million hockey fans turning out to bear witness and to celebrate this season, this team, and what this franchise has become ... from one that made the playoffs only twice between 2000 and 2020 to one on top of the world.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 22 June 2025
Crowds—this is Crews’s great novel of crowds, of their mindless delights and savage whims—come to bear witness to Herman’s undertaking.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Omar Hamad is a Palestinian writer and pharmacist bearing witness to genocide in his home of Gaza.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear witness
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.
Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Like a quarter of a million hockey fans turning out to bear witness and to celebrate this season, this team, and what this franchise has become ... from one that made the playoffs only twice between 2000 and 2020 to one on top of the world.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 22 June 2025
Crowds—this is Crews’s great novel of crowds, of their mindless delights and savage whims—come to bear witness to Herman’s undertaking.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Omar Hamad is a Palestinian writer and pharmacist bearing witness to genocide in his home of Gaza.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear witness
Cite this Entry
“Bear witness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bear%20witness. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share