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
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 witnessing
Terry described the personal impact of witnessing the shooting.
—
Amanda Castro
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Cameron Chell's unique perspective comes from witnessing the entire evolution of the drone industry and understanding how to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical applications.
—William Jones, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The story is based on Ly’s own family life as well as the lives of some of his friends after witnessing disagreements that unfolded.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
Now a whopping 50 percent off, the skin care staple is witnessing one of its lowest prices to date.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
Survivor 49 contestant Jake Latimer had to choose between playing Survivor and witnessing the birth of his son.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
After witnessing Nillo driving erratically after leaving the commissioner’s apartment building, investigators stopped her and seized the vehicle.
—Joey Flechas, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
The Subscriber centers on a high-end escort who, after witnessing the death of a wealthy client, kidnaps a burglar in a panic while trying to flee the premises.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Both witnessing and being a part of something is a huge part of songwriting, and also of Eastern philosophy.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
Amanda Castro
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Cameron Chell's unique perspective comes from witnessing the entire evolution of the drone industry and understanding how to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical applications.
—William Jones, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The story is based on Ly’s own family life as well as the lives of some of his friends after witnessing disagreements that unfolded.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
Now a whopping 50 percent off, the skin care staple is witnessing one of its lowest prices to date.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
Survivor 49 contestant Jake Latimer had to choose between playing Survivor and witnessing the birth of his son.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
After witnessing Nillo driving erratically after leaving the commissioner’s apartment building, investigators stopped her and seized the vehicle.
—Joey Flechas, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
The Subscriber centers on a high-end escort who, after witnessing the death of a wealthy client, kidnaps a burglar in a panic while trying to flee the premises.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Both witnessing and being a part of something is a huge part of songwriting, and also of Eastern philosophy.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witnessing
Verb
-
According to Nessel, Smothers agreed to sign a false affidavit in May 2019, attesting to details of the beauty salon shooting that bolstered Anderson's self-defense story.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Jetelina says another potential scenario is that pharmacists might require that such individuals sign paperwork attesting to their risk factors to receive a COVID vaccine.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Nutrafol Skin Clear Skin Nutraceutical was born because Nutrafol’s team was hearing from dermatologists that some patients taking Nutrafol’s hair growth supplements were also noticing their acne clear up.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Times, however, reported that the boat had turned around after noticing a military aircraft following it.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Running concurrently with the events of Ultimatum, Tony Gilroy’s The Bourne Legacy finds Landy and Vosen testifying in front of Congress about Blackbriar.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Prosecutors alleged that Henry, Melly and fellow inmate Terrence Mathis collaborated to keep Mariah Hamilton, Melly’s ex-girlfriend, away from testifying.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
These areas are not experiencing the same correction that pandemic boomtowns across the South are now facing after years of overheating, and demand for the limited supply available remains strong, keeping prices up.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The debut of Nature of Things arrives at a time when the body and hair care categories are experiencing rapid growth and innovation.—
Emma Sandler,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The leadership of the paper, and others within Spotlight interviewed during the investigation, felt that McCarthy had behaved appropriately, and was in fact focused on guaranteeing the accuracy of sensitive, high-stakes projects.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
When Northern Democrats would not agree to militant pro-slavery demands such as passage of a federal slave code guaranteeing slavery’s westward expansion, Southern Democrats walked out.—
Time,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nepal’s current bout of political unrest started in early September, when a group of young Nepalis, fed up with seeing politicians’ children posting about their designer handbags and luxury travel while most people struggle to make ends meet, organized a peaceful protest.—
Sugam Pokharel,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Most of all, the United States must create the capacity for advanced recycling that is seeing investments happen mostly overseas.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At the same time, the home furnishings industry was undergoing a major shift with the rise and demise of various direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands.—
Amanda Lauren,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Washington Wizards wing Bilal Coulibaly will be sidelined to begin the season after undergoing surgery on his right thumb.—
Grant Afseth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This amounts to something of a mainstreaming of accessibility by moving it out of its silo and affirming it as a critical aspect of the customer journey.—
Gus Alexiou,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Foster self-acceptance by regularly affirming your son’s inherent value, and the value of other young men, irrespective of any kind of achievements, characteristics, and physical attributes.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Witnessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witnessing. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share