as in witnesses
a person who sees something happen and is able to describe it
The police are hoping to locate an eyewitness to the shooting.
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Recent Examples of eyewitnesses
Police from the 13th Precinct who responded to the scene of his killing initially couldn’t locate any eyewitnesses.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Citizens are mainly present as eyewitnesses in crisis events, breaking news situations, or to represent the public opinion in vox pops.
—Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Two Palestinians, among them a 14-year-old boy, have been shot and killed at a school in the occupied West Bank amid an attack by Israeli settlers, the Palestinian Health Ministry and multiple eyewitnesses said.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
According to eyewitnesses, Russini, who was driving on the same road at the time, stopped to help the 73-year-old male driver of the Jeep and his dog, both of whom were trapped in the vehicle following the collision, per the outlets.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Barocio first appears to wave Delacruz away, then the group walks off camera, where eyewitnesses told police Barocio shot Laredo-Arellano in the mouth.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
The American Meteor Society's report shows eyewitnesses strewn throughout the East Coast, including into eastern Pennsylvania.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
But the other survivor’s testimony implicated Sierra, and that was enough to send him to prison in an era of limited forensic evidence and a high level of trust in eyewitnesses and police officers.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Defense attorney Joseph Esparza said there is not DNA evidence, fingerprints or eyewitnesses to place Preciado at the scene of the crime.
—Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2026
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Citizens are mainly present as eyewitnesses in crisis events, breaking news situations, or to represent the public opinion in vox pops.
—Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Two Palestinians, among them a 14-year-old boy, have been shot and killed at a school in the occupied West Bank amid an attack by Israeli settlers, the Palestinian Health Ministry and multiple eyewitnesses said.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
According to eyewitnesses, Russini, who was driving on the same road at the time, stopped to help the 73-year-old male driver of the Jeep and his dog, both of whom were trapped in the vehicle following the collision, per the outlets.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Barocio first appears to wave Delacruz away, then the group walks off camera, where eyewitnesses told police Barocio shot Laredo-Arellano in the mouth.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
The American Meteor Society's report shows eyewitnesses strewn throughout the East Coast, including into eastern Pennsylvania.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
But the other survivor’s testimony implicated Sierra, and that was enough to send him to prison in an era of limited forensic evidence and a high level of trust in eyewitnesses and police officers.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Defense attorney Joseph Esparza said there is not DNA evidence, fingerprints or eyewitnesses to place Preciado at the scene of the crime.
—Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eyewitnesses
witnesses
Noun
-
In a new book, Geoff Kelly traces how the artworks moved through criminal networks, where violence took the lives of key suspects and witnesses, and challenges long-circulating theories by revisiting key details.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
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The outlets reported that detectives cited witnesses who said that that Cherry was aware of her mother's daily drug use — specifically of heroin laced with fentanyl.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eyewitnesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eyewitnesses. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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