watch out

verb

watched out; watching out; watches out

intransitive verb

: to be vigilant or alert : be on the lookout

you'd better watch out

watch out for the tree!

Synonyms of watch out

• guard (against)
• look out (for)
• beware (of)
• notice

Examples of watch out in a Sentence

watch out for hazards in the road

Recent Examples on the Web

Ask to see the set that still remains—just watch out for the grumpy resident dog, who is best admired from afar. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026

Recommended for ages 3 to 7 Author Neil Sharpson and illustrator Dan Santat, the collaborators behind last year’s beloved picture book Don’t Trust Fish, have returned this month with another very funny story about an animal to watch out for. — Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026

Oaks Christian has started playing like the Oaks Christian of old, so watch out. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

If you are headed to the coast, watch out for flooded roads, especially in low-lying areas. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for watch out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

watch out

verb

: to be on the lookout

watch out for cars