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
Three bystanders were also hit in the firefight that left one man dead and two others seriously wounded.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 16 July 2024
The former president was injured and a bystander was killed.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 15 July 2024
Fortunately, those plots all ultimately failed (albeit with bystanders tragically paying a price, as in Butler, Penn., on Saturday), but those failures are due to luck, not due to a lack of intent or capability.
—Jacob Ware, TIME, 15 July 2024
It has been confirmed that the U.S. Secret Service killed the assailant, a bystander was killed, and more were seriously injured.
—Sam Woodward, USA TODAY, 14 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bystander 
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 16 July 2024
The former president was injured and a bystander was killed.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 15 July 2024
Fortunately, those plots all ultimately failed (albeit with bystanders tragically paying a price, as in Butler, Penn., on Saturday), but those failures are due to luck, not due to a lack of intent or capability.
—Jacob Ware, TIME, 15 July 2024
It has been confirmed that the U.S. Secret Service killed the assailant, a bystander was killed, and more were seriously injured.
—Sam Woodward, USA TODAY, 14 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bystander
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bystander.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bystander
Cite this Entry
“Bystander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bystander. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bystander
noun
by·stand·er
-ˌstan-dər
: a person standing near but taking no part in what is happening
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