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Synonyms

stand guard

Idioms  

  1. Watch over, act as a lookout, as in We'll climb the tree and get the apples if Josh will stand guard, or There's a parking space; stand guard while I make a U-turn and get to it. This term alludes to the military defense of posting guards to watch for the enemy.

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:

Community police officers and “autodefensas” stand guard at the main barricade of San Ángel Zurumucapio, monitoring people leaving or entering the community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Four of the station’s original granite eagles will stand guard at the corners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Wolves have been observed swatting the birds away, even appearing to designate a pack member to stand guard.

From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026

People are taking each other’s kids to school, organizing shifts for people to stand guard and protect immigrants in their neighborhoods.

From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2026

Two lighthouses stand guard at the mouth of the harbor, yet they are not illuminated.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

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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.

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