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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Japan is seen as an important market for baseball, which was introduced to the country in 1872 and is now its most popular spectator sport. — Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2025 With celebrity litigation becoming a spectator sport the whole world seems to enjoy (a betting market is surely coming?), the tactics and techniques used in such cases are now squarely in the spotlight. — Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025

Rhymes for spectator sport

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Browse Nearby Words

spectatoritis
spectator sport
spectatory
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Cite this Entry

“Spectator sport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spectator%20sport. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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