as in guardian
a person or group that watches over someone or something
a lone sentinel kept watch over the fort
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sentinel
Their Tibetan ancestry dates back thousands of years to when they were bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries.
—
Katelyn Chef, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
Precedent for this idea comes from Poland, where many cities already use freshwater mussels as living sentinels of water quality, wired with sensors that register when the animals clamp their shells shut in response to pollutants.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Mar. 2026
The Association of American Medical Colleges should coordinate a voluntary sentinel system across member institutions.
—Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Feb. 2026
The gas Citizens Energy serves customers, typically methane, is naturally odorless so the company adds mercaptan, which smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, to serve as a sentinel in case there's a gas leak.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentinel
Katelyn Chef, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
Precedent for this idea comes from Poland, where many cities already use freshwater mussels as living sentinels of water quality, wired with sensors that register when the animals clamp their shells shut in response to pollutants.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Mar. 2026
The Association of American Medical Colleges should coordinate a voluntary sentinel system across member institutions.
—Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Feb. 2026
The gas Citizens Energy serves customers, typically methane, is naturally odorless so the company adds mercaptan, which smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, to serve as a sentinel in case there's a gas leak.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentinel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentinel
Noun
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Due to safety concerns, the age restriction for overwater villa stays is 13 and up, though parents or guardians can sign a waiver upon booking.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
Their protagonists tend to be runaways—men who join whaling expeditions in their haste to dodge the malaise that sets in on shore, boys who board rafts floating down the Mississippi to evade their guardians and their chores.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Liveried guards greet you at the grand entrance and breeze through ‘hello’ in any number of languages.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The Illini have the nation’s best backup big in Zvonimir Ivisic and need to hit on just one or two of their four freshman guards to round out the rotation.—
CJ Moore
June 2,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The forgers of the future have become custodians of an optimistic past.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
-
Institutions still need clearinghouses, custodians, reporting systems, market surveillance, and legal accountability.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Several of the incidents occurred in residential neighborhoods, where wardens recovered crossbow bolts from front yards and porches, the release said.—
Natassia Paloma,
USA Today,
22 May 2026
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The juvenile bear’s wander across campus late Thursday and early Friday prompted an advisory to students and a search by UC Davis police and wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as Yolo County Animal Control.—
Allison Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Goalkeeper Mike Penders, who spent last season on loan at Strasbourg, will be in contention to be the first-choice keeper, along with Robert Sanchez.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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And that activism – being a brother’s keeper – was evident in his personal life as well.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Access to platforms was blocked off with bicycle-rack style barricades and roll-down gates as MTA police officers stood sentry, directing people to alternative transportation.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
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But a Marine sentry was spotted outside the West Wing most of the day Saturday, usually a sign the president is at work.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sentinel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentinel. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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