bystander
noun
by·stand·er
ˈbī-ˌstan-dər 
: one who is present but not taking part in a situation or event : a chance spectator
innocent bystanders who were injured in the shooting
Examples of bystander in a Sentence
Two innocent bystanders were injured in the shooting.
bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging
Recent Examples on the Web
Big Tech in the crosshairs It has been clear for a while that tech companies cannot pretend to be mere bystanders in the ongoing conflict.
—
Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
Nobody else at or near the scene, including the two friends the girl was with, plus bystanders who witnessed the gunman flee, pointed the finger at Ruiz.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Jennifer Moriarty said officers grabbed her by the neck, shoved her in a vehicle, and then got angry at other bystanders.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Several bystanders stopped to help Corrigan at the scene, with one person applying pressure to his wounds until first responders arrived, according to the report.
—Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bystander
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Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
Nobody else at or near the scene, including the two friends the girl was with, plus bystanders who witnessed the gunman flee, pointed the finger at Ruiz.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Jennifer Moriarty said officers grabbed her by the neck, shoved her in a vehicle, and then got angry at other bystanders.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Several bystanders stopped to help Corrigan at the scene, with one person applying pressure to his wounds until first responders arrived, according to the report.
—Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bystander
Cite this Entry
“Bystander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bystander. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bystander
noun
by·stand·er
-ˌstan-dər
: a person standing near but taking no part in what is happening
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