stand guard/watch

idiom

: to stand in a position and guard or watch someone or something in order to look for possible danger, threats, etc.
A soldier stood guard by the door.

Examples of stand guard/watch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Smoke billows from a fire started by protesters as riot police stand guard after disturbances near the Southport Islamic Society Mosque in Southport, northwest England, on July 30, 2024, a day after a deadly child knife attack. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2024 Prized perch: New Yorkers probably think a rat or a cockroach is a more fitting symbol of the city, but a giant pigeon sculpture will stand guard from the High Line trail starting this fall. Daniel Wine, CNN, 5 Aug. 2024 And yes, as with any other sort of play these days, the process takes work: Residents who’d like to set up a play street must get buy-in from neighbors, agree on dates, book road closures well in advance, and recruit stewards to stand guard at either end of the block. Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 29 July 2024 The Police Nationale stand guard at checkpoints, turning away people who want to stroll at the water’s edge. David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for stand guard/watch 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stand guard/watch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near stand guard/watch

Cite this Entry

“Stand guard/watch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand%20guard%2Fwatch. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!