# keep watch

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/keep-watch
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To guard; to watch over someone or something.

## Examples

- Please keep watch while I run inside to grab my keys.
- The soldiers took turns to keep watch throughout the night to ensure the camp remained safe.
- As the storm intensified, the lighthouse keeper continued to keep watch over the turbulent sea, scanning the horizon for any vessels in distress.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.