as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something
several onlookers gave chase after the thief grabbed the woman's purse
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Recent Examples of onlookers
The operation drew the attention of several dozen onlookers, who were standing in line as part of a food giveaway by a local nonprofit called the Dream Center Foundation.
—
Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Celebrities don their Met Gala finest and exit through a throng of onlookers into a car (or, more often, a sprinter van) to the museum.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 5 May 2026
Hathaway is seen on the monitor getting her makeup touched up, while onlookers outside take pictures.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
The onlookers scattered—all but one, a local named Amy Parker.
—Robin Romm, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
But Minnesota reminded basketball onlookers last series that its defense can be the ultimate neutralizer.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
And later, the inquisitive head of a couple of snappers (don’t point too close) draws multiple onlookers on the boardwalk, which is sometimes eerily deserted but sometimes requires single-file trekking.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Additional footage shows teens running through the streets as onlookers watch from inside a restaurant.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
On a morning in April, a plane circling overhead drew anxious onlookers.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Celebrities don their Met Gala finest and exit through a throng of onlookers into a car (or, more often, a sprinter van) to the museum.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 5 May 2026
Hathaway is seen on the monitor getting her makeup touched up, while onlookers outside take pictures.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
The onlookers scattered—all but one, a local named Amy Parker.
—Robin Romm, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
But Minnesota reminded basketball onlookers last series that its defense can be the ultimate neutralizer.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
And later, the inquisitive head of a couple of snappers (don’t point too close) draws multiple onlookers on the boardwalk, which is sometimes eerily deserted but sometimes requires single-file trekking.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Additional footage shows teens running through the streets as onlookers watch from inside a restaurant.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
On a morning in April, a plane circling overhead drew anxious onlookers.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onlookers
Noun
-
Met Gala spectators may not get a ticket into the A-list affair.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
-
The regents may gather themselves by then and realize they have been relegated to mere spectators with titles as others strain to keep secret the complaint and how it was handled.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
One challenge facing Fed observers is that the difference between monetary and non-monetary functions at the central bank can be less than clear.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
-
Through those observers, the radio station provided a play-by-play of Pirates home games, which was a practice that undermined the Pirates’ exclusive broadcasting deal with a different radio station.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Heavy draperies on a curtain rod were drawn back to reveal the work, which viewers often had to line up for hours to see.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Imagine an audience in the theater interacting in real time with viewers at home, or productions unfolding simultaneously onstage and behind the scenes for different audiences.—
Glenn Davis,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onlookers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onlookers. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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