watch list

noun

: a list of people or things that are being closely watched because they are likely to do or experience bad things in the future
The animals are on a watch list of species that could become extinct soon.

Examples of watch list 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.
Keep a watch list—and some dry powder. Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026 This is just a watch list, not a list of finalists. Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026 Nigeria and South Africa were both removed from a global financial crime watch list in October, indicating some progress in tackling illicit money flows. Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026 Two Georgia baseball players, junior catcher/outfielder Daniel Jackson and junior infielder/outfielder Tre Phelps, were named to the midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced Thursday. Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for watch list

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Watch list.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/watch%20list. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster