Thesaurus results for BYSTANDER

bystander

noun

ˈbī-ˌstan-dər

Definition of bystander

as in observer

someone who sees or watches something bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of bystander The killing, captured on bystander video, sparked protests in 2020 as part of a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Another bystander was able to grab the gun before police arrived, the records say. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 The American Academy of Pediatrics recognized this shift in a landmark 2016 policy statement calling for pediatricians to actively engage fathers as caregivers, not bystanders. — Nishant Pandya, STAT, 17 Aug. 2026 Hours later, a bystander called police to report an unresponsive baby inside a locked car. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bystander

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bystander

Noun

But some investors and observers point to the product's internal leverage as a cause for concern and controversy.

— Oliver Renick, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Spotting a pair of smart glasses can require tech-savvy security staff, and enforcement may depend on users voluntarily disclosing their devices—or on watchful observers speaking up.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of observer

Noun

For $6/month, viewers can watch all out-of-market live preseason action on NFL+, unless the game airs on a national network, as is the case Thursday night when ESPN covers Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders’ trip to play the Houston Texans.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026
This video takes viewers inside the arraignment process to explain how bail decisions are made and what the court's latest guidance means for defendants and their families.

— James Ward, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of viewer

Browse Nearby Words

byroads

bystander

bystanders

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bystander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bystander. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bystander

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

southpaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes