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
The last few months have borne witness to AI systems learning to mislead, cheat, and try to evade shutdown—even resorting to blackmail.
—
Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025
This Jewish immigrant is a source of amusement to the shady local police, but also a reminder of the way that survivors bear witness — whereas corpses dumped at sea take their secrets with them to the bottom of the ocean.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025
With a focus on the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, the show bears witness to the evolution of styles and progress in technique through graphic art, lifting the lid on the design process and celebrating the precise art of gouaché.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The photos here bear witness to ikebana’s century-long relationship to photography.
—Kosen Ohtsubo, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear witness
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Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025
This Jewish immigrant is a source of amusement to the shady local police, but also a reminder of the way that survivors bear witness — whereas corpses dumped at sea take their secrets with them to the bottom of the ocean.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025
With a focus on the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, the show bears witness to the evolution of styles and progress in technique through graphic art, lifting the lid on the design process and celebrating the precise art of gouaché.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The photos here bear witness to ikebana’s century-long relationship to photography.
—Kosen Ohtsubo, Artforum, 1 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 17 Jun. 2025.
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