1
as in attesting
to declare (something) to be true or genuine
a notary public witnessing wills and other important documents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
witnessed the crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in testifying
to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact
I witnessed to the fact that I had seen them together that night
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in experiencing
to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it
war changes anyone who has ever witnessed it first hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of witnessing
Following the 2024 total solar eclipse, American birds sang as if witnessing a new dawn.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The present moment may be witnessing a form of wholesale foreclosure, where the reading of books, and the practice of deep reading, may signal one’s class distinction.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Two sources who attended the party described witnessing a loud verbal exchange between Nick Reiner and his parents.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Upon witnessing this, another agent fired defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.
—Fin Daniel Gómez, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
She's joined on the climb by Becky Connor (Grace Caroline Currey), a fellow adventurer who's been struggling with depression since witnessing her husband, Dan (Mason Gooding), fall to his death while scaling a mountain the year prior.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
But there’s also a possibility that one day, perhaps in eight years, Celebrini will be filling the shoes of McDavid as the leader of Team Canada, and four years from now the interplay between the two might be very similar to what Celebrini is witnessing between Crosby and McDavid this year.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
A day after witnessing the violence on television, Jackson organized a caravan of seminary students to drive down to Alabama and join King in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Another man, Asim, said witnessing the incident was traumatizing.
—Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2026
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The present moment may be witnessing a form of wholesale foreclosure, where the reading of books, and the practice of deep reading, may signal one’s class distinction.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Two sources who attended the party described witnessing a loud verbal exchange between Nick Reiner and his parents.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Upon witnessing this, another agent fired defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.
—Fin Daniel Gómez, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
She's joined on the climb by Becky Connor (Grace Caroline Currey), a fellow adventurer who's been struggling with depression since witnessing her husband, Dan (Mason Gooding), fall to his death while scaling a mountain the year prior.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
But there’s also a possibility that one day, perhaps in eight years, Celebrini will be filling the shoes of McDavid as the leader of Team Canada, and four years from now the interplay between the two might be very similar to what Celebrini is witnessing between Crosby and McDavid this year.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
A day after witnessing the violence on television, Jackson organized a caravan of seminary students to drive down to Alabama and join King in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Another man, Asim, said witnessing the incident was traumatizing.
—Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witnessing
Verb
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At his clinic, the licensor, posing as a patient, received a vaccine card attesting to her vaccination without ever being offered a shot, prosecutors said.—
Jessica Schreifels,
CNN Money,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The current requirement includes attesting on the form, under penalty of perjury, that the applicant is an American citizen.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This could include asking questions about when patients are noticing their hives (after a hot shower or after being in the sun, for example), or asking patients to keep a symptom diary.—
Zia Sherrell,
Health,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But many are also noticing who’s devastated by the news these days and who isn’t.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pata’s mother left the courtroom sobbing while someone was testifying.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Zuley spent more than three hours testifying at the Leighton Criminal Court Building after he was called to the stand by Cook County prosecutors fighting off a petition that asks a judge to vacate a murder conviction.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The change of seasons brings about changes in our home, too—from experiencing less natural light to layering on extra blankets or even our towels drying slower.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
22 Feb. 2026
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Consumers save a lot on fuel with this model while also experiencing the best of Mercedes' wagon culture.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For seven years, hemp products have flooded stores throughout the state without regulations guaranteeing their quality or safety.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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Ten percent of apartments will go to veterans or municipal employees, with 5% being set aside for those with mobility challenges and 2% for those with visual and hearing access needs, guaranteeing equity among hardworking New Yorkers from diverse backgrounds.—
Donovan Richards,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Neighbors confirmed seeing local police and FBI agents at the home in the suburban community of Southwest Ranches.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Relative humidity will remain in the 30% to 40% range on Wednesday and Thursday, with Friday seeing a return to normal dry season humidity of around 60%.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Recognizing this challenge, Yale researchers sought to better understand the prevalence of antibiotic allergy labels among patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation, which patients are most likely to carry them, and how often those labels reflect true allergy.—
Jordan Shaked,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
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The news came 48 hours after the Kings announced that Zach LaVine (finger) and Domantas Sabonis (knee) would miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgical procedures to repair their injuries.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While Annie steals away to Memphis in the middle of the night to find her mother before graduation, the town gives Vernice a proper send-off to Spelman with her church raising money to help her purchase supplies, affirming that her pursuit is a noble one that deserves community support.—
Tembe Denton-Hurst,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2026
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Kansas bans gender-affirming care for minors and bars transgender women and girls from female sports teams, kindergarten through college.—
John Hanna,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Witnessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witnessing. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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