keep watch

Idioms  

1. Also,; watch over. Observe with continuous attention, especially to act as a sentinel or for protection. For example, Afraid that the wolves would return, she kept watch while the others slept, or They kept a close watch on the harbor, looking for signs of enemy ships, or, according to the Gospel of St. Luke (2:8): “And there were in the same country shepherds ... keeping watch over their flock by night.” [Late 1300s] Also see keep an eye out for.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

keep watch

The authority said it had spent almost £60,000 on safety barriers, administration and paying for a security guard to keep watch over it.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Investors should keep watch for the trade group’s pending home sales report, which measures contract signings, later this month.

From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026

Dozens of Wisconsinites volunteer each spring to keep watch against poachers as the sturgeon make their way upriver to spawn; thousands more come to watch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

Monroe coach Leo Hernandez said he got his position in 1999 because he could run with his athletes to keep watch over them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

He put his head down, telling himself he would keep watch.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Related Words

• cruise
• inspect
• safeguard