sentry

noun

ˈsen-trē How to pronounce sentry (audio)
Definition of sentrynext
as in guard
a person or group that watches over someone or something a sentry posted to watch for intruders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sentry In June, one soldier got fifty lashes, and another a hundred, for privately tapping a keg of whiskey, and in August a sentry who fell asleep got a hundred lashes in the course of four days. — Caleb Crain, New Yorker, 25 May 2026 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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for sentry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentry
  1. guard
  2. guardian
  3. custodian
  4. warden
  5. sentinel
  6. keeper
Noun
  • Ahead of the trophy celebrations, the Spanish extended an olive branch, providing a guard of honour to their opponents.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Cots, bottle warmers, bottle sterilizing tablets, and bed guards are offered, as well as babysitting services, swimming lessons, complimentary non-motorized water sports, and blended baby food especially prepared by the chef.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
Definition of guard
Noun
  • Parents and guardians should have open and ongoing conversations, rather than one big conversation, according to Mann.
    — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • The ride service may contact parents and guardians of riders with teen accounts as well.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Definition of guardian
Noun
  • Assets in a custodial account may be considered the child's, even though a parent or other adult serves as the custodian.
    — Elizabeth Gravier,Dan Avery, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • The union represents over 250,000 classified public school employees, like bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, para-educators, clerical staff and campus security guards.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Game wardens, rescue boat teams and helicopters with hoist capability to assist with water rescues.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 July 2026
  • Exceptions include their use by police officers or animal wardens in an official capacity, at an archery club or paintball gun club, at a public or private range designed for that purpose, or to protect human life or property.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
Definition of warden
Noun
  • The observatory has spent over two decades as a sort of orbital sentinel that scans the cosmos for gamma-ray bursts, ready to quickly point itself at the short-lived — but insanely powerful — space explosions at a moment's notice.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 26 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, in Ischia Ponte, the Castello Aragonese stands sentinel over a causeway that connects it to the rest of the island.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026
Definition of sentinel
Noun
  • Argentine keeper Emiliano Martínez set a new record for most saves in a men’s World Cup Final, with 11, including a few diving stops that kept Argentina alive.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 20 July 2026
  • The goal ruined a superhuman effort by Argentine keeper Emiliano Martínez, who made 11 saves while playing with a fractured right ring finger that will require surgery.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of keeper

Browse Nearby Words

sentries
sentry
sent up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sentry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentry. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sentry

Nglish: Translation of sentry for Spanish Speakers

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