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
De Silva, police noted, was an innocent bystander who was not involved in the quarrel and was not believed to have been the target.
—
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
The truck driver was taken for a mental health evaluation and the bystander has been released from a hospital, DHS said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2025
In Belmont Cragin, a northwest Chicago community, local organizers have rallied hundreds of volunteers to create kits packed with the whistles, handouts showing when to use them and bilingual flyers detailing what bystanders’ and detainees’ rights are when agents are conducting arrests.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
The operation involved dozens of federal agents and provoked protests from bystanders, the Associated Press reported.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bystander
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.
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
The truck driver was taken for a mental health evaluation and the bystander has been released from a hospital, DHS said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2025
In Belmont Cragin, a northwest Chicago community, local organizers have rallied hundreds of volunteers to create kits packed with the whistles, handouts showing when to use them and bilingual flyers detailing what bystanders’ and detainees’ rights are when agents are conducting arrests.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
The operation involved dozens of federal agents and provoked protests from bystanders, the Associated Press reported.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bystander
Cite this Entry
“Bystander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bystander. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bystander
noun
by·stand·er
-ˌstan-dər
: a person standing near but taking no part in what is happening
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share