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

In a PJM control room about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, rotating teams of operators keep watch for threats to the grid’s stability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

But with the sun starting to dip behind the mountains, we finally give up, and leave the Sentinel to keep watch for the night.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2025

Young men and older boys were posted around the large horse herd to keep watch.

From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III

Related Words

• cruise
• inspect
• safeguard