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 But, inevitably, Bella must also bear witness to injustice and reacquaint herself with suffering. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 The Downward Spiral offers a glimpse into a private abyss, where the listener is shocked out of complacency and forced to bear witness to the narrator’s descent. Adam Steiner, SPIN, 8 Mar. 2024 His remarkable photographs and films of global industrial landscapes represent his dedication to bearing witness to the impact of humans have had on the planet. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Barely 48 hours after bearing witness to one of the worst shooting displays in Portland franchise history, the sneaker was on the proverbial other foot for the Hornets on Tuesday night. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2024 January bore witness to the cancellation of Issa Rae’s Rap Sh!t after just two seasons, joining the somber cadence that shrouds other shows such as South Side severed after three seasons, Netflix’s The Get Down, and FX’s Kindred after a singular season, abandoned in the wave of cancellations. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 26 Feb. 2024 But Cole also bore witness to the possibility of a different outcome. Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2024 The audience even bears witness to the awful act, as the fragile-looking Carol (Blythe Danner) weeps inside of the veterinarian’s office, laying her head on the big dog’s chest while the animal slips away. Stephanie Merry, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 In this essay, Palestinian writer Sarah Aziza considers what the act of bearing witness to unrelenting atrocity means: As long as Palestinians are alive to record and share their suffering, the duty and dilemma of witness will remain. Seyward Darby, Longreads, 16 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bear witness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Bear witness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bear%20witness. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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