Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

watch one's back

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.33 in modern English

Syllables: watch one's back
IPA

29

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

1

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To remain wary of being attacked from behind by surprise; to remain watchful to prevent a predictable attack from being a surprise.

verb

To be wary of betrayal or an otherwise unexpected attack.

Example Sentences

"the kind of dive bar where you better watch your back"
"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"

Inflected Forms

watches one's back (present, singular) watching one's back (participle, present) watched one's back (participle, past) watched one's back (past)

Phrases

cover one's back watch one's step

Frequently Paired Words

cover one's back watch one's step

Synonyms

check one's six watch one's ass

Questions

What does watch one's back mean?: To remain wary of being attacked from behind by surprise; to remain watchful to prevent a predictable attack from being a surprise.

How to pronounce watch one's back

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “watch one's back”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “watch one's back”.
Repeat and practice — Say “watch one's back” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.