watchman

noun

ˈwäch-mən How to pronounce watchman (audio)
Definition of watchmannext
1
as in custodian
a person or group that watches over someone or something hired a watchman to patrol the factory at night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in keeper
a person who takes care of a property sometimes for an absent owner a watchman lives next door to scare off prowlers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 watchman Stingley died the same year as Trayvon Martin, a Black Florida teen shot to death by a neighborhood volunteer watchman, who was acquitted in 2013. — Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 16 Jan. 2026 Désir explained the various Gede spirits, like Baron Samedi, the spirit that takes souls to the afterlife and Brav Gede the watchman of the graveyard. — Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025 The old man of the night, the watchman not yet in bed. — Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025 Here was another young Black person, a 17-year-old heading back from the convenience store, who had been deemed a threat, shot, and killed by a neighborhood watchman. — Noelle Swan, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for watchman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watchman
  1. custodian
  2. keeper
  3. guard
  4. janitor
  5. guardian
  6. warden
  7. sentinel
  8. caretaker
Noun
  • The deals, reached to avert a strike in April, promised double-digit raises to teachers, aides, custodians and other workers.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • That said, in practice, most IRA custodians will have their own documentation requirements.
    — James Lange, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • Norwegian keeper Orjan Nyland dove to his left to stop Guimarães’ attempt, Brazil’s first unsuccessful World Cup penalty shot, not including shootouts, since 1986.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 6 July 2026
  • The best opportunity for Portugal came through Nuno Mendes, whose deflected shot rocketed off the crossbar after cleanly beating Spanish keeper Unai Simón.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of keeper
Noun
  • Former Houston standout guard Kingston Flemings hit a deep jumper — his toe was ruled on the 3-point line — with three seconds left in OT, slicing Utah’s lead to one, 100-99.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026
  • Tempers flared late in the fourth quarter when Kings center Dylan Cardwell and Nets guard Egor Demin wrestled for a loose ball.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of guard
Noun
  • The janitor of the school is more important than the principal.
    — Mac Engel June 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
  • Broadwater, then 20, had grown up as one of six children of a janitor who worked for Syracuse University.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Definition of janitor
Noun
  • What parents can do Whether or not Pennsylvania’s bell-to-bell ban bill becomes law, parents and guardians remain central to helping children develop healthy phone habits and communication skills.
    — Elizabeth Dowdell, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • If the school declares an emergency, students may be provided with prepared text messages to keep their parents or guardians informed.
    — Chaewon Chung Updated July 6, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of guardian
Noun
  • There’s also a tiny museum and a house where the island’s wardens live.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
  • Judge McCaslin weighed in on the laptop issue during Monday's hearing, saying that the prison warden would not allow Murdaugh to keep a laptop in his cell due to safety concerns.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 30 June 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
  • His body was discovered by his live-in caretaker and the caretaker’s wife.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • The case has drawn an outpouring of support for Hearn, a longtime volunteer caretaker of park property, as Trump officials warn that vandalism of national monuments won’t go unpunished.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of caretaker

Browse Nearby Words

watching over
watchman
watchmen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Watchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watchman. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of watchman for Spanish Speakers

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