sentry

noun

sen·​try ˈsen-trē 

plural sentries

: guard, watch

especially : a soldier standing guard at a point of passage (such as a gate)

Synonyms of sentry

• guard
• guardian
• custodian
• warden
• sentinel
• keeper

Examples of sentry in a Sentence

The general placed an armed sentry at the bridge.

a sentry posted to watch for intruders

Recent Examples on the Web

Moss has colonized the ceiling, and tall trees keep sentry over the store’s diverse and eclectic inventory. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026

But a Marine sentry was spotted outside the West Wing most of the day Saturday, usually a sign the president is at work. — James Laporta, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026

The soldiers would have stayed as sentries before and after the performance, symbolically guarding the legacy of Taiwan’s founder. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026

In June, one soldier got fifty lashes, and another a hundred, for privately tapping a keg of whiskey, and in August a sentry who fell asleep got a hundred lashes in the course of four days. — Caleb Crain, New Yorker, 25 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from obsolete sentry sanctuary, watchtower

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sentry

• sentry box
• stand sentry

Rhymes for sentry

• entry
• gentry
• complementary
• elementary

Kids Definition

sentry

noun

sen·​try ˈsen-trē 

plural sentries

: guard entry 1 sense 3a

especially : a soldier standing guard at a point of passage