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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stand guard

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

From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026

Three giant horse chestnut trees, each over 80 feet tall, stand guard in front of my house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 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

Incoherent hieroglyphs plate the walls, plastic pharaohs stand guard in the check-in lane, and taxis idle under the haunches of a gargantuan Sphinx.

From Slate ● Nov. 18, 2025

I was relieved to not have to go to the moon house, or walk Vonetta there and stand guard, or carry Fern’s pot there for dumping.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Related Words

• assure
• care for
• conserve
• cover
• cushion
• defend
• insulate
• keep
• look after
• preserve
• safeguard
• save
• secure
• shelter
• shield
• support