passerby
noun
pass·er·by
ˌpa-sər-ˈbī 
ˈpa-sər-ˌbī
plural passersby
ˌpa-sərz-ˈbī
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
Prosecutors showed video of the confrontation that was captured on business surveillance cameras and cellphone footage shot by a passerby.
—
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
To prevent the knifeman from wounding others, the passerby wrestled the attacker to the ground and held him there until the police could come and arrest him.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
Suazo, a 21-year-old Boston resident, was found by a passerby around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, in Milton, Mass, which is approximately 8 miles south from the capitol city, according to a press release from the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 June 2025
To make things even more bizarre, the hat was not mentioned at all in the scene, either by Seema or by a confused passerby.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for passerby
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.
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
To prevent the knifeman from wounding others, the passerby wrestled the attacker to the ground and held him there until the police could come and arrest him.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
Suazo, a 21-year-old Boston resident, was found by a passerby around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, in Milton, Mass, which is approximately 8 miles south from the capitol city, according to a press release from the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 June 2025
To make things even more bizarre, the hat was not mentioned at all in the scene, either by Seema or by a confused passerby.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for passerby
Cite this Entry
“Passerby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passerby. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share