keep one's eyes peeled

verb

To be on the alert, to be watchful.

Similar
keep an eye outkeep one's eyes openkeep one's eyes skinned
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Meanings

verbkeep one's eyes peeled (third-person singular simple present keeps one's eyes peeled, present participle keeping one's eyes peeled, simple past and past participle kept one's eyes peeled)

present singular third person keeps one's eyes peeled · participle present keeping one's eyes peeled · participle past kept one's eyes peeled · past kept one's eyes peeled

  1. idiomaticintransitiveTo be on the alert, to be watchful.

    lookouts posted to the port and starboard bows keep their eyes peeled for the ghostly outline of approaching traffic.

    2003 November 14, Laura Bly, “Sailing into the past”, in USA Today
    1 more example

    And directly below is our Mesozoic jungle river -- where, if you are lucky, you just may catch a glimpse of a very rare carnivore. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone!

    1990, Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

    Synonyms: keep an eye out, keep one's eyes open

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be on the alert, to be watchful.

Similar
keep an eye outkeep one's eyes open

More synonyms by meaning

verbpay attention; be watchful

Similar
keep one's eyes skinnedkeep one's eyes open
Broader
watchlook outwatch out
Also see
keep one's eyes open

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

US, 19th century. Peeled probably refers to keeping one's eyelids retracted.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish holde øjnene åbne
  • holde øjnene åbneto be watchful
Dutch zijn ogen de kost geven
  • zijn ogen de kost gevento be watchful
Finnish pitää varansa, pitää silmällä
  • pitää varansato be watchful
  • pitää silmälläto be watchful
French être attentif, être vigilant
  • être attentifto be watchful
  • être vigilantto be watchful
  • être sur ses gardesto be watchful
German die Augen offen halten
  • die Augen offen haltento be watchful
Italian tenere gli occhi ben aperti
  • tenere gli occhi ben apertito be watchful
Polish mieć oczy dookoła głowy, mieć oczy szeroko otwarte
  • mieć oczy dookoła głowyto be watchful
  • mieć oczy szeroko otwarteto be watchful
  • mieć się na bacznościto be watchful
Spanish mantener los ojos bien abiertos
  • mantener los ojos bien abiertosto be watchful
Cite this entry
APA

keep one's eyes peeled. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20eyes%20peeled

MLA

“keep one's eyes peeled.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20eyes%20peeled. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep one's eyes peeled,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20eyes%20peeled.

Source: keep one's eyes peeled on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.