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
Corley insisted his son was an innocent bystander who was on his way home from school.
—
Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
Those included the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in which bystander video quickly raised questions about how federal officials initially described the incidents.
—Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Those included the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, where bystander video quickly raised questions about how they were initially described.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
Several bystanders who spoke with the Herald said their concerns were not for themselves but for others like them.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bystander
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Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
Those included the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in which bystander video quickly raised questions about how federal officials initially described the incidents.
—Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Those included the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, where bystander video quickly raised questions about how they were initially described.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
Several bystanders who spoke with the Herald said their concerns were not for themselves but for others like them.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bystander
Cite this Entry
“Bystander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bystander. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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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