as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something
several onlookers gave chase after the thief grabbed the woman's purse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of onlookers
Over roughly five weeks in April and May, the MV Hondius, a cruise ship struck by a hantavirus outbreak that killed three people, gripped the imaginations and anxieties of onlookers worldwide.
—
Renée Onque, CNBC, 20 May 2026
Celebrities don their Met Gala finest and exit through a throng of onlookers into a car (or, more often, a sprinter van) to the museum.
—Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 20 May 2026
By Monday, the lines had died down, perhaps because, as onlookers near a Swatch store in Paris said, there were no Royal Pop watches left in stores.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
In a now-viral video shared on X, Cardi is seen walking onto the field alongside her 4½-year-old son as onlookers chant her name in support.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
The geomagnetic storm causing this latest aurora is expected to be at its strongest on Saturday night, and will provide onlookers with their best chance to see the show, according to the NOAA.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 16 May 2026
Most onlookers were tourists not overly concerned with the real-world drama playing out down the street.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 13 May 2026
There are friends, some curious onlookers, intellectuals, a generally bohemian crowd.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
The operation drew the attention of several dozen onlookers, who were standing in line as part of a food giveaway by a local nonprofit called the Dream Center Foundation.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Renée Onque, CNBC, 20 May 2026
Celebrities don their Met Gala finest and exit through a throng of onlookers into a car (or, more often, a sprinter van) to the museum.
—Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 20 May 2026
By Monday, the lines had died down, perhaps because, as onlookers near a Swatch store in Paris said, there were no Royal Pop watches left in stores.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
In a now-viral video shared on X, Cardi is seen walking onto the field alongside her 4½-year-old son as onlookers chant her name in support.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
The geomagnetic storm causing this latest aurora is expected to be at its strongest on Saturday night, and will provide onlookers with their best chance to see the show, according to the NOAA.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 16 May 2026
Most onlookers were tourists not overly concerned with the real-world drama playing out down the street.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 13 May 2026
There are friends, some curious onlookers, intellectuals, a generally bohemian crowd.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
The operation drew the attention of several dozen onlookers, who were standing in line as part of a food giveaway by a local nonprofit called the Dream Center Foundation.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onlookers
Noun
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As the reactions from spectators at Imola prove, even seeing a Miura feels special.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
18 May 2026
-
Though popular with tweens and teenagers, spectators of all ages were at SAP Center.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Noun
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However, what most observers do not realize is that the looks on that red carpet are rooted in French beauty which has a deep, fascinating history.—
Pooja Mistry,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Some observers in Indiana, for instance, have noted that local issues—a casino project, property taxes—fed into the races there.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Soap invited its viewers to take jabs at the genre in a time when the soap opera’s reputation had already been sullied in the American mind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The event was broadcast simultaneously, in prime time and in two languages, across four TV networks, which averaged thirteen million viewers total, and attended in person by hundreds of thousands of people.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onlookers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onlookers. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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