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Collocations for watch - noun

1. instrument for telling the time

ADJ.

digital | fob, pocket, wrist (also ‘wristwatch’) | sports

VERB + WATCH

check, consult, glance at, look at | put back/forward
We put our watches forward eight hours before landing in Tokyo.
set
Don''t forget to set your watch to local time.
wind
Quartz watches don''t need winding.
have on, wear | put on | take off

WATCH + VERB

go
My watch is ten years old and it''s still going.
stop
Sorry I''m late - my watch has stopped.
be slow, lose sth
My watch loses a minute each day.
be fast, gain sth | say sth
My watch says three o''clock.

WATCH + NOUN

face | band (also ‘watchband’), strap

2. guard

ADJ.

careful, close
I kept a close watch on my bag as I sat on the train.
constant, round-the-clock | night

VERB + WATCH

keep, stand
Two soldiers were ordered to keep watch for enemy aircraft.
put
The garrison commander had put an extra watch on the prisoners.

WATCH + NOUN

committee | tower

PREP.

on ~
Some of the crew were sleeping, while others were on watch.
on the ~ for
Cats are constantly on the watch for mice or other small mammals.

Collocations for watch - verb

ADV.

carefully, closely, intently
She watched the man closely to see where he would go.
idly | impassively, numbly | anxiously, helplessly, warily
She watched helplessly as her husband was dragged away.
open-mouthed | covertly | in silence, silently | just
I love just watching the world go by.

VERB + WATCH

could only
They could only watch in silence as their possessions were taken away.
continue to | pause to, stop to
They stopped to watch the procession go by.
love to | let sb
He let me watch while he assembled the model.
make sb
The women were made to watch while their children were slaughtered.

PREP.

for
We watched for any sign of change in the weather.
from
They watched from an upstairs window.
in
She watched in astonishment as he smashed the machine to pieces.
with
He watched with great interest how she coaxed the animals towards her.

PHRASES

sit/stand and watch
She stood and watched them walk off down the road.

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