spectator sport

noun

1

: a sport (such as football, baseball, ice hockey, etc.) that many people watch

2

: something that people watch other people do without becoming involved themselves

For many, politics has become a spectator sport.

Examples of spectator sport in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For most Russians during the Gorbachev years, fashion would remain a spectator sport. —Penelope Green, New York Times, 13 May 2023

Ordering the reaper-level bird at Dave’s has become something of a spectator sport. —Tim Carman, Washington Post, 1 May 2023

It's become a major player as a spectator sport with visions on mainstream television exposure, especially if more investors and television partners join in. —Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2023

But Smith, 22, recognized that the many incidents over the years had become something of a spectator sport. —Steve Annear, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Feb. 2023