Vocabulary
Bystander
English and Urdu gloss, synonyms and antonyms, and example usage from our editorial sentence cache where available.
English meaning
a person who is present at an event or incident but does not take part.
Urdu meaning
دیکھنے والا، قریب کھڑا، تماشائی
Example sentences (from Dawn)
Sentences are selected from stored editorial text where your search word appears. If none appear yet, run the admin sentence generator for fuller coverage.
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The IMF is no innocent bystander or uninvolved observer.
Dawn Editorials —
The IMF`s culpability
— 2026-03-05
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The state should not remain a bystander but stand with Wazir, her family and all other girls who face a similar predicament; society, too, should provide collective protection.But that is not enough.
Dawn Editorials —
Forbidden play
— 2026-03-02
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It`s growing irrelevance is laid bare by its role as a bystander in wars and crises, unable to perform its core responsibility, albeit due to big power politics and clashing interests.
Dawn Editorials —
A disordered world
— 2026-01-19
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Beyond these speeches, the widespread view across the world is that the UN has become increasingly irrelevant as it acts as a bystander in wars and crises.
Dawn Editorials —
UN`s birthday blues
— 2025-09-29
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In this regard, Pakistan`s permanent representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has urged the Security Council not to remain a `bystander`.
Dawn Editorials —
UN paralysis
— 2025-07-03
Synonyms
onlooker, passer-by, non-participant, observer, spectator, eyewitness, witness
Curator example
“water cannons were turned on marchers and innocent bystanders alike”
More vocabulary to explore
About this vocabulary section.
These entries support close reading of Dawn editorials and opinion pieces: short definitions,
Urdu equivalents where we have them, word relations, and—when generated—real lines from the editorial archive
so you can see tone and usage.
Common questions
- Do I need to sign up to use this vocabulary page?
- No. Word pages are open to everyone. You can read meanings in English and Urdu, synonyms and antonyms, and example sentences without creating an account.
- Where do the example sentences come from?
- When available, example sentences are drawn from cached matches in our Dawn editorial corpus so you can see how a word is used in real newsroom-style prose.
- How is this different from a dictionary?
- This section is curated for students preparing for competitive exams and editorial reading. Entries are compact, often include Urdu glosses, and are paired with in-context lines from editorials when we have them.
