on the alert
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Eye experts are warning people to be on the alert for any signs their vision has been damaged by looking at the sun during Wednesday's eclipse.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
In response to the floods, the worst in 30 years, authorities were on the alert, reinforcing earthen barriers and preparing to evacuate if needed.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
It’s a play on the alert that heralded a new participant in online chat rooms of the 1990s and aughts, a time when many of this phrase’s current users weren’t born.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
The intelligence community is on the alert for spies looking to penetrate America’s commercial space sector through cyberattacks and strategic investments to gain access to critical networks.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
The flame illuminated her hand stretched out: roused now, and on the alert for discoveries, I at once noticed that hand.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
