passerby

noun

pass·​er·​by ˌpa-sər-ˈbī How to pronounce passerby (audio)
ˈpa-sər-ˌbī
plural passersby ˌpa-sərz-ˈbī How to pronounce passerby (audio)
ˈpa-sərz-ˌbī
: one who passes by
A passerby saw the accident and offered to help.

Examples of passerby in a Sentence

A passerby saw the accident and stopped to help. Passersby were asked if they were registered to vote.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
She was discovered by a passerby and rescued by the experts. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025 Footage has emerged of a man believed to be an ICE agent pulling a gun on a passerby who appeared to take a photo of the officer's registration number in Pasadena. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025 Police officers went to the 200 block of South Main Street just after 2 a.m. after receiving a report of the injured person; a passerby had located the pedestrian in the roadway and called 911, police said. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 June 2025 The Colorado Bureau of Investigation launched a death investigation after a passerby called 911 to report a burning car on the west side of the frontage road along Interstate 25, according to a CBI news release. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for passerby

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of passerby was in 1567

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Passerby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passerby. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

passerby

noun
pass·​er·​by ˌpas-ər-ˈbī How to pronounce passerby (audio)
plural passersby ˌpas-ərz- How to pronounce passerby (audio)
: one who passes by

More from Merriam-Webster on passerby

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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