: a usually expert swimmer employed (as at a beach or a pool) to safeguard other swimmers
lifeguard intransitive verb

Examples of lifeguard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Check with lifeguards before entering the ocean for possible hazards you may be swept into. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026 Some people climbed a lifeguard tower, while others ran through traffic and ransacked stalls where artisans sold their goods, police said at the time. Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 7 July 2026 In Laguna Beach, canopies — limited in size to 8 feet wide and 6 feet high — are only permitted in line with or behind lifeguard towers on Main Beach and the southernmost section of Aliso Beach. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 City officials credited drone technology, lifeguards and emergency management teams with helping monitor shark activity and quickly alert swimmers. Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lifeguard

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lifeguard was in 1893

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lifeguard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeguard. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a usually expert swimmer employed at a beach or swimming pool to protect swimmers from drowning

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