1
as in custodian
a person or group that watches over someone or something
the state became his guardian when he was put into protective custody
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2
3
as in protector
someone that protects
the editor defended his newspaper's unrelenting exposure of government corruption, arguing that it is journalism's role to act as a guardian of democracy
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in caregiver
a person who has responsibility for the care of another
when her parents died, her aunt became her legal guardian
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guardian
And less than a year before this, Goodall worked with Jill Robinson, the founder of Animals Asia, to become the guardian of a bear saved from the bile bear farming industry, Animals Asia revealed to PEOPLE.
—
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Donors should be in good health with no cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms, and must be at least 17 years old, or 16 with a parent or guardian’s consent.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026
Police charged the girl’s aunt and legal guardian, Tonya McKnight, and two other women in the home with felony and misdemeanor child abuse.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 1 Jan. 2026
Social media limits for minors Virginia will limit the amount of time children under age 16 can spend on social media to an hour per day, per platform, unless a parent or guardian allows for more screen time.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guardian
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Donors should be in good health with no cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms, and must be at least 17 years old, or 16 with a parent or guardian’s consent.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026
Police charged the girl’s aunt and legal guardian, Tonya McKnight, and two other women in the home with felony and misdemeanor child abuse.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 1 Jan. 2026
Social media limits for minors Virginia will limit the amount of time children under age 16 can spend on social media to an hour per day, per platform, unless a parent or guardian allows for more screen time.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guardian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guardian
Noun
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To solve this, the team created its own proprietary technology, the Trusted Computing Mechanism (TCM), which securely protects private keys without depending on conventional custodians.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is not the primary custodian of police or court records and is often asked to assist only after survivors and attorneys have exhausted other avenues.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Photos, Videos, Journals, and Scrapbooks While old photos, journals, handwritten notes, and other personal archives may not mean much to you at the time, check with family members to see if anyone wants to be the keeper of memories.—
Ashley Poskin,
Martha Stewart,
8 Jan. 2026
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The Marquette kid Kolek — more and more of a keeper, a wonderful old expression used by an old Marquette coach named Al McGuire — had five assists in 14 minutes.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those two ensure the Cavs always have at least one rim protector on the floor; both rank in the top 10 nationally in block rate, per KenPom, with Onyenso — who has had three or more blocks in three straight games — leading the country.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
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Use a high-quality mattress protector that encases your mattress to keep it clean and prevent most allergens from penetrating.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Jamboree counselors helped Guevara navigate the health care system to see a doctor and a dentist, buy a few things for her apartment, and get training to become a caregiver.—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
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Sometimes an unexpected event lurches family members into becoming caregivers.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Sports Equipment While the dishwasher isn't ideal for cleaning baseball caps, uniforms, or equipment heavily-coated with mud, a trip through a dishwasher cycle is ideal to remove bacteria and odors from mouth guards and hard plastic shin guards.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Hurricanes were without guard Gal Raviv, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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According to wardens, a team of trackers spotted the twins on Saturday, with monitoring and protection measures in force to increase their chances of survival.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The firing squad would be made up of five Department of Correction officers selected by the warden.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Heaps is returning home while some other national team stars have gone to Europe in the past year, including defender Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson.—
Romi Bean,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Daniels is a perimeter defender and Green guards frontcourt players, and both are arguably the best in their respective roles.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Each one grew up in a home that required her to curry favor with volatile and inconstant parents—a menacing father figure, a recessive and enabling mother—and each found a fragile safety in her caretakers’ occasional good will.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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Darren Fletcher’s time as caretaker manager has not yielded the same short-term lift as seen with Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2024 and Michael Carrick in 2021.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guardian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guardian. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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