watch one's back en · VERB
Meanings
-
(literally) To remain wary of being attacked from behind by surprise; to remain watchful to prevent a predictable attack from being a surprise.
the kind of dive bar where you better watch your back
-
(figuratively) To be wary of betrayal or an otherwise unexpected attack.
the kind of office gossip that prompts you to watch your back
Gotta watch my back now that you turned me around Got me walking backwards into my hometown
2011, Gillian Welch, “The Way It Will Be”, in The Harrow & the Harvest, performed by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| watches one's back | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| watching one's back | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| watched one's back | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| watched one's back | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Relateds
watch one's step · cover one's back
Synonyms
watch one's ass · check one's six
Translations (2)
it fare attenzione (to be wary) · it stare in campana (to be wary)