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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:

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

Its members stand guard at historical ceremonies and attend regular army training sessions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025

Bachelor males form their own groups, which at times stand guard.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2025

“Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry upstairs?”

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

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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