keep one's guard up

verb

To be careful and alert to the possibility of danger.

Similar
have one's guard upbe on one's guard
Opposite
lower one's guardlet one's guard down
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Meanings

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

present singular third person keeps one's guard up · participle present keeping one's guard up · participle past kept one's guard up · past kept one's guard up

  1. To be careful and alert to the possibility of danger.

    Synonyms: have one's guard up, be on one's guard · Antonyms: lower one's guard, let one's guard down

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be careful and alert to the possibility of danger.

Similar
have one's guard upbe on one's guard
Opposite
lower one's guardlet one's guard down
Also see
have one's guard up

Translations

Finnish pysyä valppaana, pitää varansa
  • pysyä valppaanaTranslations
  • pitää varansaTranslations
French rester sur ses gardes
  • rester sur ses gardesTranslations
Polish trzymać gardę
  • trzymać gardęTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: keep one's guard up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.