guard

1 of 2

noun

1
: one assigned to protect or oversee another: such as
a
: a person or a body of persons on sentinel duty
Guards were posted around the camp.
b
guards plural : troops attached to the person of the sovereign
c
British : conductor sense b
2
a
: a defensive state or attitude
asked him out when his guard was down
b
: a defensive position (as in boxing)
3
a
: the act or duty of protecting or defending
b
: the state of being protected : protection
4
: a protective or safety device
specifically : a device for protecting a machine part or the operator of a machine
5
archaic : precaution
6
a
: a position or player next to the center in a football line
b
: a player stationed in the backcourt in basketball

guard

2 of 2

verb

guarded; guarding; guards

transitive verb

1
: to protect an edge of with an ornamental border
2
a
: to protect from danger especially by watchful attention : make secure
police guarding our cities
b
: to stand at the entrance of as if on guard or as a barrier
c
: to tend to carefully : preserve, protect
guarded their privacy
3
archaic : escort
4
a
: to watch over so as to prevent escape, disclosure, or indiscretion
guarded the prisoners.
b
: to attempt to prevent (an opponent) from playing effectively or scoring

intransitive verb

: to watch by way of caution or defense : stand guard
guard against mistakes
guarder noun
Phrases
off guard
: in an unprepared or unsuspecting state
Her angry response caught me off guard.
on guard
: defensively watchful : alert
is on guard against terrorists
Choose the Right Synonym for guard

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack.

defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

a hard hat to protect your head

shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Examples of guard in a Sentence

Noun There were dozens of police officers standing guard along the parade route. Tourists gather every day to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The guard must be in place before operating the meat slicer. Verb Two policemen were assigned to guard the prisoner. A tank guarded the bridge from enemy attack. A police officer was stationed outside to guard the door. They jealously guard their secrets. Her whereabouts are a tightly guarded secret.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But Take Note This jacket could be warmer, and there are no wrist guards, so heavy rainwater could roll up your kiddo’s sleeve. Maya Polton, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024 The Rams agreed to terms Monday with guard Jonah Jackson and tight end Colby Parkinson. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 But there were two freshmen who clearly elevated themselves above the rest — New Mexico forward JT Toppin and UNLV guard Dedan Thomas Jr. — and only 11 votes. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024 The Golden State bench guard, for a moment, was a thespian playing the role of a bystander to a shocking, violent crime. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 The Louisiana State University guard, 22, collapsed while on the court as the Tigers played the University of Mississippi at the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 On the other end of the spectrum, Spoelstra also spoke about Heat guard Josh Richardson ahead of Thursday’s game. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Baylor 75, Kansas 68 Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Baylor (-4.5) Shreyas’ season record: 19-7 Shreyas’ record against the spread: 13-13 KU player to watch: Johnny Furphy The Australian guard’s role on offense has become even more important without McCullar. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024 One was a left tackle on North Side High’s first varsity football team in 1911 and later starred as a guard at TCU. Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan exploited this weakness for most of his game-high 33 points in last week’s matchup. Jannelle Moore, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 The Fed closely guards its independence from politics. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Junior guard Zack Paulsen — Tyce’s older brother — was named PacWest Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 34 points in a win at Dominican on Thursday and then 16 points — including 14 in the second half — at Academy of Art. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Details of those cases remain closely guarded by investigators. Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker went down with a right ankle sprain in Saturday’s 118-109 loss to the Houston Rockets. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 When the postseason comes around, opposing defenses will still be focused on taking away the paint and limiting free throws when guarding Butler. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 There was a time early in his career when Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards would seemingly talk about his NBA All-Defensive Team aspirations on a weekly basis. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 Mar. 2024 But he’s asked to guard the other team’s best player much less often than McDaniels or Alexander-Walker. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English garde, from Anglo-French garde, guarde, warde, from garder, guarder, warder, to guard, defend, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wartēn to watch, take care — more at ward

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1500, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guard was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near guard

Cite this Entry

“Guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guard. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

guard

1 of 2 noun
1
: an attitude or state of defense
asked dad for money when his guard was down
2
: the act or duty of protecting or defending
3
a
: a person who guards or a group of persons who guard
b
plural : a body of troops whose duties include guarding a head of state
4
a
: a football player who lines up next to the center
b
: either of two players stationed usually away from the basket in basketball
5
: a protective or safety device (as on a machine)

guard

2 of 2 verb
1
: to protect from danger : defend
2
: to watch over so as to restrict, control, or check
guard a prisoner
a closely guarded secret
guard one's tongue
3
: to try to keep (an opponent) from scoring
4
: to be on guard : take precautions
guard against infection

More from Merriam-Webster on guard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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