stand guard
Maintain protective vigilance
To stand guard is to maintain a watchful position, protecting a place, person, or thing from danger or intrusion.
Soldiers stand guard at military installations; a dog might stand guard over its owner's property.
The phrase implies vigilant, stationary alertness: Two officers stood guard outside the courtroom.
Figuratively, someone can stand guard over principles or traditions.
- watch overMonitor protectively
- keep watchMaintain vigilant observation
- sentryGuard on duty
- defendProtect from harm
- hold the lineMaintain current position
vigilant · stay alert · oversee · protect · sentinel · at attention · night watch · secure · fortify · patrol · lookout · shield · monitor · position · inspect · observe · scan · surveillance
- guardsbodyguard, protector, sentinel, sentry, watchman
- alertnessalert, alertness, attentive, vigilance, vigilant
- surveillancesurveillance, CCTV, security camera, surveillance camera, surveillance cameras
stand guardlet one's guard down
Cease being defensive
look the other way · turn a blind eye · zone out · desert · forsake
stand, guard, stands, standing, stood, standstill, standpoint, bystander, withstand