phrasal verb · neutral
keep watch
UK/kiːp wɒtʃ/US/kiːp wɑːtʃ/KEEP WATCH
to observe or guard a place or people in order to ensure safety or notice problems
Examples
“Volunteers kept watch over the shore to report any oil slicks.”
“Two guards keep watch at the main entrance overnight.”
“The neighbours took turns to keep watch while the family was away.”
Band 8 sentence
“Local volunteers kept watch along the coastline for several nights after the tanker accident to protect wildlife.”
Collocations
- keep watch over something/someone
- take turns keeping watch
- keep watch at night
Word family
Common mistakes
They keep a watch at night.→They keep watch at night.
She keeps watch the museum.→She keeps watch over the museum.
Say it for a higher band
5watch→6stand guard→7+keep watch
Synonyms
stand guard
monitor
Easily confused
monitor
“Staff monitor the CCTV feeds for any unusual activity.”
Related words
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