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.
As the last remaining commercial course in the Chicago area, Hawthorne’s closure is the end of an era that once saw five tracks running the most popular spectator sport in the country. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026 The gods themselves are also an unnerving presence, omnipresent beings of colossal power who see humans as their playthings and view Ulysses' toils as some twisted spectator sport. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026 Those initiatives had a good foundation to build on since soccer is Canada’s most popular sport in terms of registration and participation and ranks behind only hockey as a spectator sport. — Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 Tennis is unlike any other spectator sport. — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spectator sport

Rhymes for spectator sport

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Browse Nearby Words

spectatorship
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 7 Aug. 2026.

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