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
In footage that has since gone viral, Jason approached the bystander, grabbed his phone, threw it on the ground and repeated the slur back to them.
—
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
Investigators believe the two men who were injured were innocent bystanders, police said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Additionally, a 26-year-old woman was hospitalized after being trampled as bystanders fled.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
Even before his passing, in 2020, a report in Forbes.com outlined how Dr. Zimbardo extended his research to study heroism and overcoming the ‘bystander effect’ and prejudice.
—Eric Wood, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
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.
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
Investigators believe the two men who were injured were innocent bystanders, police said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Additionally, a 26-year-old woman was hospitalized after being trampled as bystanders fled.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
Even before his passing, in 2020, a report in Forbes.com outlined how Dr. Zimbardo extended his research to study heroism and overcoming the ‘bystander effect’ and prejudice.
—Eric Wood, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bystander
Dictionary Entries Near bystander
Cite this Entry
“Bystander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bystander. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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