How to Use onlooker in a Sentence

onlooker

noun
  • A crowd of onlookers gathered at the fire.
  • An onlooker noticed the disturbance.
  • Curious onlookers watched the ceremony.
  • The woman pointed to the back of the plane as onlookers turned their heads.
    — Irving Mejia-Hilario, Dallas News, 4 July 2023
  • The noise of the onlookers rose to a crescendo of screams as the ball hurtled toward the pins: Strike!
    — Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2023
  • Prince William even had a joke up his sleeve for the onlookers.
    — Megan Decker, Harper's BAZAAR, 18 May 2018
  • Cummings called 911 and worked to clear the area of onlookers.
    — Emily Sorensen, Pomerado News, 9 May 2018
  • Then, the onlookers begin to knock on the windows of the home to try and dissuade the bears, to no avail.
    — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, 10 July 2019
  • To many onlookers, the protest breaks with the stereotype that women must stay in the home.
    — Swati Gupta, Manveena Suri and Julia Hollingsworth, CNN, 14 Jan. 2020
  • Dressed in a vibrant red coat, one of the colors of the Welsh flag, Kate turned and waved to some of the onlookers.
    — Meredith Kile, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025
  • By the time an onlooker writes down the result of a play, the Colts are already lined up for the next one.
    — The Indianapolis Star, 28 July 2022
  • The onlookers just watched the raptor try to pick off a duckling and run afoul of the mother duck.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Feb. 2024
  • Hill is here to school onlookers in the art of the noteworthy above-neck vibe.
    — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 7 May 2018
  • One onlooker turned away from the road and placed her hands on her head in response.
    — Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
  • Men and women pressed small books, like the Gospels of Luke and John, into the palms of onlookers.
    — Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2019
  • The 10-minute limit opened the door and allowed onlookers to call for help.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
  • But one onlooker was said to have seen the actor near J Street.
    — Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2024
  • Halsey isn’t afraid to stand up for herself — even in front of a huge crowd of onlookers.
    — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, 2 Feb. 2020
  • She and her krewe walk rather than ride on floats, so they’re eye-to-eye with onlookers.
    — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, 22 Feb. 2019
  • In the buildings that keep lights on at night, onlookers can peer in and see the vast emptiness.
    — Andrew Keh, New York Times, 12 July 2018
  • Mars glows red in the predawn hours, hovering over the crowds of onlookers.
    — Robin Seemangal, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2018
  • He was photographed with blood on his face and fell to the ground before a crowd of onlookers.
    — Donica Phifer, Axios, 13 July 2024
  • At last, onlookers restrain LaBeouf, who gets in his truck, hits the gas, and drives off.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
  • At last, onlookers restrain LaBeouf, who gets in his truck, hits the gas, and drives off.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Video from onlooker Nathan Dahlager shows a flash of bright orange light and a loud crack at the base of the massive plant.
    — Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2022
  • An onlooker could not even tell the glories of the high-ORAC diet.
    — Johnny Miller, Allure, 30 May 2018
  • The two, who have been married for 16 years, weren't scared to show a little bit a lot of PDA for onlookers.
    — Chaise Sanders, Country Living, 25 Mar. 2023
  • Chang offers a front-row seat of the war from the perspective of an onlooker.
    — Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Nov. 2021
  • For first responders in Louisville and for the driver and his family and onlookers, is was deadly real.
    — Killian Baarlaer, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • The vessel, which was flying a giant Mexican flag and had 277 people aboard, then drifted toward the piers lining the riverbank as onlookers scrambled away.
    — Ruth Brown, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'onlooker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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