changing of guard
Ceremonial sentry replacement
The changing of the guard is the formal ceremony in which one group of sentries replaces another, especially at royal palaces or military posts: We watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.
Figuratively, it describes any transfer of responsibility or leadership from one group to another: The election marked a changing of the guard in city politics.
Also *change of guard*.
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- Buckingham PalaceUK monarch's headquarters
- sentriesSoldiers assigned to guard
- palaceMonarch's official residence
- BuckinghamFamous royal palace
soldiers · red coats · military · tradition · relief · duty · watch · rotation · handover · pomp · uniforms · standing at attention · bearskin · march · drill · precision · ritual · replacement
- ceremonieswedding ceremony, wedding, weddings, graduation, graduations
- state ceremoniesnational anthems, flag ceremonies, parades, state funerals, inaugurations
- formal movementswaltz, minuet, ballet, march, procession
- guard dutysentry, sentry duty, watchtowers, checkpoints, sentinels
- honor guardssentinel, sentinels, sentry, Beefeater, Beefeaters
- military dutiessentry duty, patrol, combat duty, active duty, reserve duty
changing of guardstatus quo
Existing condition of affairs
continuity · stability · retention · no change · holding the fort
changing of guardlifetime appointment
Role ending only at death
termination · firing · sacking · ousting · removal
changing of guardstagnation
Absence of flow or progress
ossification · fossilization · calcification · business as usual · standing still
change, changed, changes, changer, changers, unchanged, unchanging, changeable, unchangeable