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 onlookers dispersed while dust headed west toward Brickell Avenue.
—
Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
With the moratorium in place, the ball will be lowered at 1 Times Square without onlookers crowding the pedestrian plazas, organizers said in a joint statement.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
About a dozen women appeared, walking between the rows of onlookers.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
After a number of tumbles through the incoming crashing waves, Phan grabbed ahold of the shark's tail and fearlessly guided it back into the ocean, prompting cheers from onlookers.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
At a recent promotional event at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles, onlookers described Minnelli as appearing fragile and occasionally disoriented during a Q&A session.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Online onlookers caught the livestream, announced hours before Wednesday night’s show, on his Instagram account.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Hopeful onlookers lined bridges and other viewing areas throughout the region to see the launch in person.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Fans of the game and curious onlookers can watch battles in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and Pokémon GO.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
With the moratorium in place, the ball will be lowered at 1 Times Square without onlookers crowding the pedestrian plazas, organizers said in a joint statement.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
About a dozen women appeared, walking between the rows of onlookers.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
After a number of tumbles through the incoming crashing waves, Phan grabbed ahold of the shark's tail and fearlessly guided it back into the ocean, prompting cheers from onlookers.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
At a recent promotional event at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles, onlookers described Minnelli as appearing fragile and occasionally disoriented during a Q&A session.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Online onlookers caught the livestream, announced hours before Wednesday night’s show, on his Instagram account.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Hopeful onlookers lined bridges and other viewing areas throughout the region to see the launch in person.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Fans of the game and curious onlookers can watch battles in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and Pokémon GO.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onlookers
Noun
-
The atmosphere was hushed and businesslike; this was a routine pretrial hearing, and only a few other spectators joined me in the gallery.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Scheduled for May 11-17, the prestigious PGA Championship is expected to bring more than 200,000 spectators to the Philadelphia area to see who will win the historic Wanamaker Trophy.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even the most astute and careful observers can’t say for sure how the models will develop.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Because Gagosian is such a force within the art industry, the inauguration of the new Upper East Side gallery will be closely watched by market observers.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At times, Bieber appeared more focused on the livestream than the in-person crowd, referencing feedback from viewers and tailoring parts of the set in real time.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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And the league’s revenues are at a record high—in part because of its active efforts to engage younger viewers, after years of dealing with the perception that baseball was too old and too outdated to survive.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onlookers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onlookers. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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