keep an eye on
/ˌkiːp ən ˈaɪ ɒn/NEUTRAL · B2
Meaning
to watch or look after someone or something
Examples
- 1My sister keeps an eye on her son's homework but never does it for him.
- 2A security guard kept an eye on the crowd as the doors opened.
- 3Can you keep an eye on the baby while I nip to the shop?
- 4Our neighbour kept an eye on the house while we were away and even watered the plants.
- 5The bank keeps an eye on unusual payments, so it froze my card after a strange purchase.
Grammar
Only keep changes form: kept, keeping. The person or thing you watch comes straight after on.
More idioms about the body
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →turn a blind eyeto ignore something that you know is wronggive someone a handto help someone, especially with a practical jobpull your legto joke with someone by telling them something untruea pain in the necka very annoying person or thingon the tip of your tonguealmost remembered, but not quiteoff the top of your headfrom memory, without checking or thinking for long
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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