Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

guard duty

American  

noun

  1. a military assignment involving watching over or protecting a person or place or supervising prisoners.


Etymology

Origin of guard duty

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

According to Brig Evetts, soldier workload has now been reduced and working time properly managed, with reduced guard duty and kit needing to be cleaned less often.

From BBC Feb. 18, 2026

Pereira had finished his shift on guard duty at Fort Tiuna, where Maduro was sheltered that night.

From Barron's Jan. 19, 2026

He pulls long shifts of guard duty in the city center and still lives with his family in a working class Damascus suburb.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 29, 2025

He has his morning cup of coffee out there while Daisy sniffs around, works her guard duty shifts, and takes in the million-dollar view, which stretches all the way to Santa Catalina Island.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 27, 2025

As Fivers, we all did six months’ guard duty at Kauf Prison, far to the north.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training