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
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Recent Examples of witnessing
Jackson reportedly became involved in the brawl after witnessing his friend being attacked.
—
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski connected the crowd calling for Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect, to set a murderer free instead of Jesus with today’s climate, where people are witnessing horrific acts and not always speaking up.
—Alie Skowronski, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
So the idea of witnessing a wedding and what that does to you internally birthed the idea of, okay, actually, a bunch of people are going to spontaneously bleed to death at this wedding.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
On the cusp of his 90th birthday, the dean of Bay Area jazz pianism shares music and some first-hand accounts witnessing Davis and Coltrane in action in San Francisco.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
After visiting a College Track site and witnessing its impact firsthand back in 2017, Kevin made a 10-year, $10 million commitment to bring the program home to Prince George’s County.
—Wanda Durant, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Lawmakers listened as Ramirez Sanan told of witnessing her mother, Hilda Ramirez Sanan, being thrown to the ground by ICE agents.
—Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Now, Vitello’s task is creating history in San Francisco, not just witnessing it.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
All three depict a group of women witnessing the end of Jesus’ life.
—Mary Foskett, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski connected the crowd calling for Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect, to set a murderer free instead of Jesus with today’s climate, where people are witnessing horrific acts and not always speaking up.
—Alie Skowronski, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
So the idea of witnessing a wedding and what that does to you internally birthed the idea of, okay, actually, a bunch of people are going to spontaneously bleed to death at this wedding.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
On the cusp of his 90th birthday, the dean of Bay Area jazz pianism shares music and some first-hand accounts witnessing Davis and Coltrane in action in San Francisco.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
After visiting a College Track site and witnessing its impact firsthand back in 2017, Kevin made a 10-year, $10 million commitment to bring the program home to Prince George’s County.
—Wanda Durant, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Lawmakers listened as Ramirez Sanan told of witnessing her mother, Hilda Ramirez Sanan, being thrown to the ground by ICE agents.
—Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Now, Vitello’s task is creating history in San Francisco, not just witnessing it.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
All three depict a group of women witnessing the end of Jesus’ life.
—Mary Foskett, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witnessing
Verb
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Leo on Monday signed the decree attesting that Flanagan lived a life of heroic virtue.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Leo, on Monday, signed the decree attesting that Flanagan lived a life of heroic virtue.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Writers Raoul Groothuizen and Christina Poppe came up with the idea back in 2018, after noticing a sharp rise in racist rhetoric among the Flemish far-right.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Scientists had long assumed most of the moon lay beyond the protection of Earth’s magnetic field, but in 2019 scientists began noticing something odd about the experiment’s data that suggested the moon was somewhat protected from galactic cosmic rays.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The announcement led some to question whether Bondi’s ouster was in part an effort by the White House to keep her from testifying.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Shideler is a regular guest on right-wing podcasts and cable-television programs, but this was his first time testifying as an expert in court.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These are the New Yorkers experiencing invisible hunger behind closed doors.—
Beth Shapiro,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Such districts are often formed when a school district is experiencing a burst of development or enrollment growth concentrated in certain areas, explained Erica Gonzales, a managing director at the investment bank Stifel who specializes in California school financing.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But commissioners were cautious about throwing money at a sponsorship this late in the process without guaranteeing something in return.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The lack of a Democratic frontrunner has raised the prospect that Hilton and Bianco, sheriff of Riverside County, could claim the top two slots in the June 2 primary, effectively guaranteeing a Republican general election faceoff in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans two-to-one.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Whizzing by the moon up to 6,000 miles above the surface, the astronauts will also glimpse the celestial body's full disk, seeing sights that not even the Apollo astronauts witnessed.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Being embedded meant slowing down, listening, and understanding the genealogy of the triennial itself—seeing HT25 not as a rupture, but as part of an ongoing continuum.—
Wassan Al-Khudhairi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before its arrival in Split, the Ford was undergoing repairs in the US Navy’s base in Crete, Greece, after a fire broke out in the ship’s laundry area on March 12.—
Moriah Thomas,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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In the 1970s, the world of the watch was undergoing a revolution that even those who instigated it could scarcely understand.—
David Szondy
March 28,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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More recently, in a case from Tennessee, the Supreme Court ruled last year that states can ban gender affirming care for minors, including surgeries, puberty blockers and hormone treatments.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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What’s missing is a full-day, clinically robust, age-affirming program for older adults with mental health conditions, embedded within a continuum of care.—
Crystal Hudson,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Witnessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witnessing. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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