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watch over

/wɒtʃ ˈoʊvər/
phrasal_verb★Intermediate— to protect or supervise someone or something◆phrasal verb
general

To protect, guard, or supervise someone or something, often with care or attention.

The security guard watches over the building at night.

The security guard protects and monitors the building during the night.

Parents watch over their children at the playground.

Parents supervise their children while they play at the playground.

💡

This phrase is commonly used to describe protective or supervisory actions, often with a sense of responsibility.

Collocations

watch over someoneto protect or supervise a personwatch over somethingto guard or monitor an object or place

Synonyms

guardsuperviseprotectmonitoroversee

Antonyms

neglectignoreabandon

Related Phrases

keep an eye onphrase
to watch or monitor someone or something closely
look afterphrase
to take care of someone or something

💡Pro Tip

Context Matters

Use 'watch over' when emphasizing protection or supervision, especially in formal or serious contexts.

⚡Gold Rule

Protective Tone

The phrase often carries a sense of responsibility and care, so use it when describing actions that involve looking after someone or something.

📖Word Origin

The phrase 'watch over' combines the verb 'watch' (meaning to observe carefully) and the preposition 'over' (indicating supervision or protection).

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is often used in contexts where care, protection, or supervision is implied. It can be used both literally and metaphorically.

Word Breakdown

watch
to observe carefully
root
+
over
indicating supervision or protection
preposition
English Dictionary

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