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

Relevance
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 Francis Ford Coppola meditates on the question of who is watching the watchmen in The Conversation, a neo-noir mystery thriller about the human side of surveillance. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026 Nearly 1,400 votes were cast for Elgin High School’s new mascot, with 558 for a lion, 421 for watchmen/timekeepers and 417 for a fox, according to information provided by Principal Avelira Rodriguez Gonzalez. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026 Ideas like reparative journalism and sousveillance — an antonym for surveillance, concerning watching the watchmen in a reversal of power — earn fleeting mentions, but are never the focus of actual inquiry. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026 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 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 suspect, a 15-year-old former student, attacked the school's principal, a custodian and a teacher with a sharp object.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Undeath have signed with those custodians of heavy music over at Relapse and debuted a new song for the label.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • That drive started with a Mariota keeper around the left end that went for 35 yards.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Crisis Manager This is the keeper of all things calm, the soothing presence when things get a bit too much.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of keeper
Noun
  • Suamataia didn’t start at left guard on the offensive line for the Chiefs in their AFC West showdown with the Raiders.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Turns out, since Proctor has been a major catalyst in the run game, routinely moving defensive tackles at guard, there’s some thought that guard, and not tackle, might be his future home.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of guard
Noun
  • An April 2025 legionella report obtained by The Sacramento Bee shows the bacteria was found in at least 17 samples, including those taken from the men’s locker room, a women’s bathroom and several janitor closets.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The janitor resumed snapping at the bushes with her shears—tiny, clear quartz beads scattered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of janitor
Noun
  • Health insurers, meanwhile, are tasked with being guardians of the health care dollar and master negotiators.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Given that Chuy García continued to serve out his term despite the health issues his wife is experiencing and his new responsibilities as guardian of his grandchild, the other explanation does not hold water.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of guardian
Noun
  • Hosfelt was among nine staff members, including the former warden, arrested in June 2024 and charged with felonies in connection with deaths at the prison.
    — Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Luckily — or maybe unluckily — the camp’s warden, a hardbitten guy with an oily smile named Clancy (Russell Crowe, hardbitten, smiley, and oily), takes a liking to Murphy.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of warden
Noun
  • My sentinel, dressed in a sharp black suit, his frigid blue eyes taut with grief.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • In the film, robotic sentinels have been constructed to kill all mutants and any humans harboring them.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of sentinel
Noun
  • Absentee voting is available to the elderly, disabled people and their caretakers, and others.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Hathaway told The Hollywood Reporter at the Verity New York premiere on Tuesday night (Dvorovenko portrays Verity’s caretaker, Anna).
    — Michaela Zee, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All