spectator sport
noun
1
: a sport (such as football, baseball, ice hockey, etc.) that many people watch
2
: something that people watch other people do without becoming involved themselves
For many, politics has become a spectator sport.
Examples of spectator sport in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s why these missions are often blocked, or else their mandates are severely diluted, which essentially renders peacekeeping a spectator sport.
—
John Prendergast, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2016
As the League of Women Voters says, elections are not a spectator sport.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
In the arena, survival itself is a spectator sport and showmanship the only ticket out of starvation.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
For visitors and locals alike, ongoing drama over whether the Seine will be swimmable has become its own spectator sport.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
Defining the music on these terms commercially can only aid in the pervasive effort to turn hip-hop into a spectator sport to which tickets are sold.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 13 June 2024
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict becomes for them a spectator sport for which to choose a side.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2024
This giant version pits two teams against each other and makes for an engaging spectator sport for all ages.
—Lizzy Briskin, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024
Fashion’s favorite spectator sport is the Met Gala.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
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John Prendergast, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2016
As the League of Women Voters says, elections are not a spectator sport.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
In the arena, survival itself is a spectator sport and showmanship the only ticket out of starvation.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
For visitors and locals alike, ongoing drama over whether the Seine will be swimmable has become its own spectator sport.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
Defining the music on these terms commercially can only aid in the pervasive effort to turn hip-hop into a spectator sport to which tickets are sold.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 13 June 2024
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict becomes for them a spectator sport for which to choose a side.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2024
This giant version pits two teams against each other and makes for an engaging spectator sport for all ages.
—Lizzy Briskin, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024
Fashion’s favorite spectator sport is the Met Gala.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near spectator sport
Cite this Entry
“Spectator sport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spectator%20sport. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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