watch 1 of 2

verb

ˈwäch How to pronounce watch (audio)
Definition of watchnext
1
as in to observe
to keep one's eyes on I turned my head to continue watching the bird as it flew away

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to follow
to take notice of and be guided by watch what I do when I run into that kind of problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to monitor
to pay continued close attention to (something) for a particular purpose watched the situation to see if it improved

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to care
to have an interest or concern for you should watch what you eat if you want a long, healthy life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to supervise
to take charge of especially on behalf of another hired a high school girl to watch their daughter until they got home from work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

watch

2 of 2

noun

1
as in guard
a person or group that watches over someone or something the neighborhood crime watch

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in watchfulness
the state of being constantly attentive and responsive to signs of activity, opportunity, or danger kept a watch over the sick baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lookout
an act or period of watching for signs of activity, danger, or opportunity the little boy kept watch at the window for signs of Santa and his sleigh

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of watch
Verb
Greene’s film interweaves scenes from the family’s movies, footage of them being filmed, moments from real life, interviews; watching Too Much Sugar is like being rolled around inside a kaleidoscope of documentary images. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026 The Jayhawks soaked up most of the third quarter with another touchdown drive, and Ballard and the backups took care of the rest, much to the delight of PGA Tour star and Kansas alum Gary Woodland, who watched the game from the sideline. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
The campaign did not acknowledge Talarico’s critique nor answer questions about the watch. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Still, there’s a kind of hip, comfort food aspect to the entire enterprise that keeps it an easy, if slightly cluttered and overlong watch. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for watch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watch
  1. observe
  2. follow
  3. monitor
  4. care
  5. supervise
  6. guard
  7. watchfulness
  8. lookout
Verb
  • The film seeks to hold that tension through a deeply human perspective, where observing can also become an act of care.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • As Georgina Kleege has observed in her own later-day reckoning, Keller herself would not have been able to find her way around this house, and Godspeed to any other modern-day blind or DeafBlind person who tried.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of observe
Verb
  • Moreno followed with his RBI single off Bryan King (2-4) to give Arizona the lead.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Drivers notoriously focus intensely on performance, and, like any athletes, have learned to ignore cues everyday people may follow.
    — Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of follow
Verb
  • Electron diffraction provided another way to monitor the crystal structures as defects developed.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Subramanyam said his calls were monitored between March and May, noting that at the time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was pushing for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of monitor
Verb
  • The secretary of state used to be one of those ministerial posts that few outside government knew or much cared about; from a political standpoint, the office and its occupant seemed dull and dry as Melba toast.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • If the Wolverines end up with 10 wins, no one except fans of Western Michigan will care that one of those wins happened like this.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of care
Verb
  • The following year, he was sentenced to 188 months, nearly 16 years, in prison, with five years supervised release.
    — Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In her current role, Second Assistant District Attorney, Sprague supervises all homicides that occur in Plymouth County as well as all firearm and narcotics cases, according to her profile.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of supervise
Noun
  • The right-side combo of tackle JC Latham and rookie camp surprise Fernando Carmona at guard are particularly intriguing as a run-blocking combo.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Rookie Jake Slaughter moves to that critical spot, and although the second-round pick played that position in college, the Chargers were hoping to start him at guard.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of guard
Noun
  • The multiple heads can be said to represent divine watchfulness of the world and devotees.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For now, the consensus among Wall Street’s economists is less alarm than watchfulness.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of watchfulness
Noun
  • At 441 feet high, the lookout is the highest point of elevation in the area, meaning a bird’s eye view of the forest’s colorful canopy.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Pearson faces charges of second-degree death by vessel, operating a vessel under the influence, reckless operation, operating without a safety certificate and failure to keep a proper lookout.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of lookout

Phrases Containing watch

Browse Nearby Words

wastrels
watch
watchdog
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Watch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watch. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on watch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about watch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stigma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All