looker-on

noun

Definition of looker-onnext
as in observer

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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 looker-on Shortly after the Paris Couture Week show, beauty fanatics and experts quickly began to dissect McGrath’s brilliant makeup artistry, earning high praise from notable lookers-on. — Claire Sullivan, WWD, 23 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looker-on
  1. observer
  2. spectator
  3. onlooker
  4. bystander
Noun
  • While the conflict has thus far been driven by advances in aerial drone technology, many observers predicted that the next major battlefield innovation would be the widespread employment of ground robots.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Complicating matters is that the moon is closest to an observer (and therefore is largest in the sky) when directly overhead, at the zenith.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 July 2026
Definition of observer
Noun
  • That first meeting was the only one I’d ever attend as a pure spectator.
    — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
  • The real emotion came in the twilight hours with no spectators around — DeChambeau standing in high grass on the fifth hole with two rules officials, pleading his case and ultimately losing the argument.
    — Doug Ferguson, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
Definition of spectator
Noun
  • The beluga came from below and passed in one swooping motion, twisting to display its chest to onlookers.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • Last month, the princess greeted onlookers ahead of her official arrival at Royal Ascot.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 10 July 2026
Definition of onlooker
Noun
  • Some riders gallivant and whoosh past bystanders, weaving in and out and putting surrounding passersby on edge.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • When first responders arrived, bystanders were already performing CPR.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of bystander

Browse Nearby Words

looker
looker-on
lookers
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Cite this Entry

“Looker-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looker-on. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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