LOOKER-ON Synonyms: 21 Similar and Opposite Words

looker-on

noun

Definition of looker-on

as in observer

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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

Noun

But the project, which is supported by the Tibetan government, has also raised concerns among international observers.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Particulars matter Haiti observers warn that considering the country’s vexing history with electoral fraud, violence, problematic votes and post-election crises, the particulars of its electoral machinery do matter.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 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

Black youth experience sudden cardiac arrest at higher rates than their peers, are less likely to receive bystander CPR and AED intervention, and therefore have lower survival rates.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 July 2026
Nearby bystanders helped the woman back up onto the platform before a train arrived.

— Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026

Definition of bystander

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looker

looker-on

lookers

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“Looker-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looker-on. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of looker-on

noun

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