onlookers

plural of onlooker
as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something several onlookers gave chase after the thief grabbed the woman's purse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 onlookers The man was then led off as onlookers watched in disbelief. Emma Bussey , Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025 Rather than leather, the eyestay is made out of a rougher material, and an unshrouded tongue leaves its foam out for onlookers to see. Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025 Later the same day, during a pageant welcome event, Itsaragrisil addressed a crowd of onlookers, apologizing to the Miss Universe delegates who could be seen standing behind him. Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025 Videos taken by onlookers showed flames on the plane’s left wing on the runway, with the aircraft then barely lifting off the ground before crashing and exploding into a huge fireball. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2025 Screens displayed the election results, periodically refreshed as onlookers awaited the most recent vote tally. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2025 Not just the two people who are in an adversarial situation, but the onlookers around. Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 5 Nov. 2025 No, onlookers will not need any equipment to see the meteor shower. Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025 Their table was conspicuously positioned near the restaurant’s front windows, offering onlookers a clear view of the three billionaires clinking glasses and linking arms for a toast. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onlookers
Noun
  • Then a gunshot appeared to ring out, sending spectators running in the opposite direction.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Pulcer was known for entertaining spectators at the Soo Locks by blasting classical music day or night over the vessel's speakers, Winters said.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • As the 34-year-old Mamdani prepares to be sworn in at midnight on New Year’s Eve, observers and even close supporters wonder if his showbiz pedigree will translate to support for the city’s film and TV production sector.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Legal observers are also watching whether the Court’s conservative majority—which invoked the major questions doctrine to strike down Biden-era initiatives on student loans, pandemic mandates, and climate rules—applies the same standard to a Republican president.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Regardless of where the viewers are coming from, eyeballs are returning to the baseball diamond, and the Dodgers have demonstrated just how significant their role in the shift has been.
    Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • However, as the show continues to capture audiences with a dramatization of one of the most notorious true crime cases in modern American history, the man responsible for the killings is asking viewers to consider watching with a skeptical mind.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Onlookers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onlookers. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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