as in guardians
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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Recent Examples of sentinels
The populations in Akwa (also in southeastern Igboland) formed vigilante groups armed with rifles, built towers where sentinels were posted, and their shots would alert villagers if raiders came within sight.
—
Literary Hub, 5 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
By removing friction, letting AI handle the heavy lifting and investing in modern SAT/PST, leaders transform reluctant users into proactive sentinels.
—Eyal Benishti, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The satellite, Space Weather Follow-On L1 (SWFO-L1), is launching just in time, as scientists warn our aging fleet of solar sentinels is reaching the end of its life.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The sentinels of conventional wisdom settled on the view that the Iraq invasion was one of the great own goals of American foreign policy, and that its beneficiary was Iran.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
The previous study had shown that CLNP changed the behavior of dendritic cells, specialized immune cells that act as the immune system’s sentinels, initiating and regulating immune responses.
—New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 5 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
By removing friction, letting AI handle the heavy lifting and investing in modern SAT/PST, leaders transform reluctant users into proactive sentinels.
—Eyal Benishti, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The satellite, Space Weather Follow-On L1 (SWFO-L1), is launching just in time, as scientists warn our aging fleet of solar sentinels is reaching the end of its life.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The sentinels of conventional wisdom settled on the view that the Iraq invasion was one of the great own goals of American foreign policy, and that its beneficiary was Iran.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
The previous study had shown that CLNP changed the behavior of dendritic cells, specialized immune cells that act as the immune system’s sentinels, initiating and regulating immune responses.
—New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentinels
Noun
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Nathan Muckey, the school’s principal, sent parents and guardians an email ahead of the walkout stressing that building and district staff would prioritize student safety in their response.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
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Still, child care slots remain in short supply across wide swaths of New Mexico, even as the state extends assistance beyond working parents to grandparent guardians, foster parents and people experiencing homelessness.—
Morgan Lee,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And the game pits two of the county’s best guards in junior Harmony Golightly of Mater Dei and Texas signee Amalia Holguin of Sage Hill.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Dolphins have three viable starting offensive linemen — Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson — under contract, and that doesn’t include Jonah Savaiinaea, who was one of the worst starting offensive guards in the NFL last season.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those roles fall to separate custodians and depositories.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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His members include special education and teacher aides, cafeteria workers, custodians, gardeners and bus drivers.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Consider this trio the keepers of your wellness experience, the ones who dictate your diet, decipher data from your tests, alI in the name of longevity, a rather worthy endeavor.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
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The depiction of female shopkeepers and mothers, punctuated by women like me standing by concrete building blocks, underscores our importance as memory keepers within a society that has often needed rebuilding.—
Lara N. Dotson-Renta,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 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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Forest wardens walk into Kyebi Forest Reserve in the East Akim Municipal district in Ghana.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Kochab is the brighter of the two outer stars in the bowl of the Little Dipper (the other being Pherkad), which seem to march in a circle like sentries around Polaris, the North Star.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
14 Dec. 2025
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The pair later designed pieces for various regiments of the Royal Guards, the sentries protecting Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace in London.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sentinels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentinels. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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