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
She's had to create new lockdown procedures, is budgeting for security and now keeps the blinds closed to shield children from unwanted visitors and from witnessing immigration enforcement actions.
—
CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The Connecticut police accountability law that creates a legal obligation for police to intervene when witnessing abuse by other law enforcement officers applies to federal immigration agents, two senior police officials said Friday.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Beth de Araújo’s competition title, which is still seeking distribution, centers on an eight-year-old girl processing trauma after witnessing a horrific assault.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2026
Advertisement America is not merely witnessing overzealous immigration enforcement but a systematic expansion of government overreach.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Follow stone markers along the seafloor of the 650-foot trail, witnessing friendly sea turtles and a kaleidoscope of colorful fish living amongst a healthy coral reef system.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
O'Hara was in attendance when Culkin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023, giving a speech at the ceremony about witnessing the actor evolve in the decades since the two appeared in Home Alone.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
In fact, many of the strongest solar storms on record have occurred during this milder phase, but the likelihood of witnessing a powerful, naked-eye-visible aurora is especially high right now, given the sun’s tumultuousness.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 27 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The Connecticut police accountability law that creates a legal obligation for police to intervene when witnessing abuse by other law enforcement officers applies to federal immigration agents, two senior police officials said Friday.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Beth de Araújo’s competition title, which is still seeking distribution, centers on an eight-year-old girl processing trauma after witnessing a horrific assault.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2026
Advertisement America is not merely witnessing overzealous immigration enforcement but a systematic expansion of government overreach.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Follow stone markers along the seafloor of the 650-foot trail, witnessing friendly sea turtles and a kaleidoscope of colorful fish living amongst a healthy coral reef system.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
O'Hara was in attendance when Culkin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023, giving a speech at the ceremony about witnessing the actor evolve in the decades since the two appeared in Home Alone.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
In fact, many of the strongest solar storms on record have occurred during this milder phase, but the likelihood of witnessing a powerful, naked-eye-visible aurora is especially high right now, given the sun’s tumultuousness.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 27 Jan. 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
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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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Tarzan This late-episode highlight just has a very funny conceit (Tarzan breaks up with Jane after noticing several red flags) paired with a host who has the benefit of having played this character before in a big-budget film.—
Charu Sinha,
Vulture,
1 Feb. 2026
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Regulars started noticing that certain locations had quietly changed or removed their fries.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gray, testifying for the government, went through Northstar’s dense general ledgers while on the witness stand and confirmed that Watson did not invest in nine of the projects in question and invested only small amounts in two other properties, rather than 5%.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
28 Jan. 2026
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Public hearings have been held in at least five cities, with residents testifying about monthly water bills reaching hundreds of dollars and, in some cases, far more during peak usage months.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Scientific consensus now recognizes fish as sentient beings capable of experiencing suffering.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
These findings complicate popular claims that the world is experiencing a runaway increase in inequality.—
Chelsea Follett,
Oc Register,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The impasse is virtually guaranteeing another shutdown of potentially broad swaths of the federal government on the heels of last year's record-breaking crisis.—
Lori Comstock,
The Providence Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
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There is another circular element to the deal where Nvidia's investment essentially helps fund purchases of its own products, while simultaneously guaranteeing to be a customer.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Peskoe and others are watching court challenges to the DOE emergency orders closely, seeing if courts weigh in on this use of emergency powers to decide what kinds of energy should remain on the grid longer.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Instead, even with its Gemini app now seeing more than 750 million monthly active users (MAUs), 100 million more than last quarter, and Gemini, the company's large language model, processing over 10 billion tokens per minute, Search usage broke a quarterly record.—
,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The 46-year-old victim suffered life-threatening infection and severe injuries after undergoing surgery on May 7, 2023.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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Sundance also arrives in Colorado at a time when the state is undergoing changes.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While many viewers praised the message as affirming and timely, some conservative groups criticized the presentation for embracing LGBTQ+ symbolism.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
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But the city ended up being deeply affirming for Harris.—
Amelia Edelman,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Witnessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witnessing. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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