keep an eye on

K

keep an eye on

Meaning | Definition

• keep a watch on something or someone closely
• monitor something or someone
• mind, give attention to
• watch carefully, supervise
• to monitor something closely
• to follow something or someone while being occupied with something else

Example Sentences

1. The cops always kept an eye on the top trouble makers of the city to ensure that the festival period are not affected.
2. My teacher kept a stern eye on me after she found me not paying as much attention during her lectures. I cannot afford to bunk it anymore.
3. I keep an eye on my children because it helps me not worry about them all the time.
4. My husband kept an eye on the workers at his office because he suspected they were stealing.
5. You should always keep an eye on the people that are responsible for taking care of your children, even if it is for a short duration.
6. I am never able to keep an eye on the monuments that I cross while driving since I am so focussed on the roads.
7. Keep an eye on the students. We don’t want them to cheat during the exams.
8. Keep an eye on the road or we might miss the turn we need to take.
9. She asked her friend to keep an eye on her house while she was away.
10. The woman kept an eye on the children as they played on the beach.
11. He had put on a lot of weight lately, so he started keeping an eye on what he ate.
12. Keep an eye on the speed. You might crash if you drive too fast.
13. As he was not interested in historical places, he kept an eye on the luggage as his friends visited the monuments.
14. While she was enjoying the conversation, she kept an eye on the watch so that she would not be late for her meeting.

Origin

The phrase comes from the fact that people often have their entire attention or ‘both eyes’ on the task at hand. This allows for other things to fall apart. Hence to ‘keep an eye on’ something means that even though the person is occupied with something else they are paying attention to other things as well.