sentinel

noun

ˈsent-nəl How to pronounce sentinel (audio)
Definition of sentinelnext
as in guardian
a person or group that watches over someone or something a lone sentinel kept watch over the fort

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 sentinel The observatory has spent over two decades as a sort of orbital sentinel that scans the cosmos for gamma-ray bursts, ready to quickly point itself at the short-lived — but insanely powerful — space explosions at a moment's notice. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 26 June 2026 Meanwhile, in Ischia Ponte, the Castello Aragonese stands sentinel over a causeway that connects it to the rest of the island. — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026 Here and there, fire, wind, and flood would have broken the forest into a mosaic of old and new, grass and forest, shrubs and sentinels. — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 Dozens of health organizations and research groups have formed an independent surveillance network to track the presence of dangerous pathogens in community wastewater—a sentinel for potential outbreaks. — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentinel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentinel
  1. guardian
  2. guard
  3. custodian
  4. warden
  5. keeper
  6. sentry
Noun
  • Judge Stephanie Santoro granted Klitschko’s request, appointing him temporary guardian of his daughter’s estate and authorizing him to file a probate petition on her behalf.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Every child under 18 with a Social Security number has an account in their name, but parents or guardians must claim the account on an app to receive a one-time deposit of $1,000.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of guardian
Noun
  • The Hurricanes were missing a starting offensive lineman as right guard Max Buchanan is out for the foreseeable future with an injury.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Officials reviewed the play for a possible hostile act by Howard, but assessed no foul on the Atlanta guard.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of guard
Noun
  • Okwuosa reports the average salary for a custodian is about $45,000 this fiscal year, up from $36,900 in fiscal year 2021-22.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Under what was known as the Status Quo, a set of unwritten understandings between Israel and Jordan, the custodian of Jerusalem’s Muslim holy sites, Jews could visit the shrine, but only Muslims could worship there.
    — Ilan Ben Zion, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of custodian
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
  • Herbert melted down, getting stonewalled on a fourth-and-one keeper, fumbling away the next possession, then ending the next with an interception.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Stroud finished the drive with a 2-yard keeper for 19-3 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of keeper
Noun
  • And Ric Salinas, who plays Chachalacani, humorously obliges, bringing his Culture Clash vaudeville skills to the role of the sentry who’s caught between the rock of Klion’s tyranny and his fellow feeling for Antíkona’s sympathetic cause.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, Hongqi said the solar roof could help supply lower-voltage electrical loads, including air conditioning, refrigerators and the vehicle’s sentry or monitoring systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sentry

Browse Nearby Words

sentiments
sentinel
sentinels
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sentinel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentinel. Accessed 20 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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All