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
While the end result impressed onlookers, getting the system working took significant effort.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
As spectators, we are cursed to be onlookers — powerless to help, despite our desire to.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
But that depiction was picked apart by a vast array of online onlookers, from law enforcement experts to ordinary Instagram users, some of whom replayed the videos frame by frame and zoomed in to show the episode in frightening detail.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
Passers-by at Orange County Convention Center became onlookers.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Hundreds of onlookers gathered on the central Piazza della Repubblica, protected by several Italian police forces, to pay their respects to the couturier after a two-day wake concluded the evening before.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 Jan. 2026
Other onlookers who saw the attack on the woman began fighting with the 25-year-old man.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The incident caused brief traffic delays and drew a crowd of onlookers, but mall officials said other stores resumed normal operations after emergency crews gave the all-clear.
—Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
But some onlookers hoped the crowd could have been more involved in picking the winner, as is generally the case with look-alike contests.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
As spectators, we are cursed to be onlookers — powerless to help, despite our desire to.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
But that depiction was picked apart by a vast array of online onlookers, from law enforcement experts to ordinary Instagram users, some of whom replayed the videos frame by frame and zoomed in to show the episode in frightening detail.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
Passers-by at Orange County Convention Center became onlookers.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Hundreds of onlookers gathered on the central Piazza della Repubblica, protected by several Italian police forces, to pay their respects to the couturier after a two-day wake concluded the evening before.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 Jan. 2026
Other onlookers who saw the attack on the woman began fighting with the 25-year-old man.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The incident caused brief traffic delays and drew a crowd of onlookers, but mall officials said other stores resumed normal operations after emergency crews gave the all-clear.
—Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
But some onlookers hoped the crowd could have been more involved in picking the winner, as is generally the case with look-alike contests.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onlookers
Noun
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But unfortunately for the paying customers who watched at Target Center, those big names were also spectators watching in street clothes.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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As spectators, we are cursed to be onlookers — powerless to help, despite our desire to.—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Industry observers expect contract discussions to resurface in 2026, potentially as early as the second half of the year, according to The Korea Herald.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In response, the Iranian authorities launched a brutal crackdown on protests, according to observers.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The video quickly went viral, reaching over 2 million views with many viewers assuming the image was authentic.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Footage of the shooting has divided viewers, with finger-pointing over who was the aggressor and who was the victim.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onlookers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onlookers. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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