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
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
That majestic array of green-gray gneiss sentinels may be the most conceptually elaborate Neolithic monument in Europe.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Arizona’s iconic saguaro cactuses seem like immobile sentinels standing watch over the Sonoran desert landscape.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The world’s lakes are considered sentinels of climate change and are warming dramatically as global temperatures rise.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentinel
Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
That majestic array of green-gray gneiss sentinels may be the most conceptually elaborate Neolithic monument in Europe.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Arizona’s iconic saguaro cactuses seem like immobile sentinels standing watch over the Sonoran desert landscape.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The world’s lakes are considered sentinels of climate change and are warming dramatically as global temperatures rise.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentinel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentinel
Noun
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With the knife in her hand, Guzman approached the toddler and his guardian in a shopping aisle.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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In New Jersey, lawmakers are considering a bill to amend a state law that allows parents to nominate standby, or temporary, guardians in the cases of death, incapacity, or debilitation.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At this year’s trade deadline, Charlotte was a buyer for the first time in years, adding Chicago guard Coby White as the Bulls embraced a rebuild.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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The star guard, who tore her ACL for the first time before her junior year of high school, grappled with injuries throughout her first four seasons with the Huskies, first a foot injury that sidelined her for 11 games in 2021-22, then a knee injury that kept her out of 22 in her sophomore year.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Bus drivers, custodians and special education workers will receive a 24% wage increase, increased hours that ensure healthcare benefits, and the district agreed to rescind layoffs for hundreds of IT technicians.—
Tom Wait,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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After serving as custodian of NBC’s late-night for years, George Cheeks, Paramount’s Chair of TV Media who oversees CBS, became the executive who last year canceled CBS’ venerable late-night franchise The Late Show.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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If that is the case, the warden announces on the intercom system that the sentence was carried out and witnesses are directed to exit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
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The sheriff also said the warden had reached out regarding an allegation of an incident under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, but then did not call the department back to further investigate.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Third-string keeper Kayne Rizvanovich is one of the few additional players also on the California road trip.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
13 Apr. 2026
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Kalani Brundage slipped a slick pass over to Addison Smith who beat the Kingwood keeper with a low shot to the left side to give Forney a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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The soldiers would have stayed as sentries before and after the performance, symbolically guarding the legacy of Taiwan’s founder.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sentinel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentinel. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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