man in the street

noun phrase

Synonyms of man in the streetnext
: an average or ordinary person

Examples of man in the street 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.
Murray said that every man in the street had either read it or heard of it. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 There, officers found a man in the street who had been shot multiple times. — Joe Brandt, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026 In a video statement Friday, police released his identity, along with a 911 call, footage of the standoff and footage of a man in the street with a gun. — Aria Jones, Dallas News, 29 Apr. 2023 Just after midnight on Wednesday, a 21-year-old man got into a dispute with another man in the street in the 200 block of Cardiff Avenue, according to a preliminary police report. — Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of man in the street was in 1831

Rhymes for man in the street

See All Rhymes for man in the street

Browse Nearby Words

man in the moon
man in the street
manioc
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Cite this Entry

“Man in the street.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man%20in%20the%20street. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

man in the street

: a typical or ordinary person

More from Merriam-Webster on man in the street

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for man in the street

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