as in watch
an act or period of watching for signs of activity, danger, or opportunity
kept vigil at their ailing son's bedside the entire time he was in the hospital
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Recent Examples of vigil
Within days, 40,000 people would gather along the shoreline, holding vigil for their beloved Sister Aimee.
—
Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2025
His classmates held a vigil for him on Tuesday night.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2025
San Francisco was reeling from the AIDS epidemic and during the visit, the pope was met with activists holding protest signs and participating in candlelight processions and prayer vigils, hoping to enact change.
—Shantel Guzman, CBS News, 6 May 2025
Nichols’ death reverberated in Sacramento, where family members and community activists have held vigils and called for justice.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigil
Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2025
His classmates held a vigil for him on Tuesday night.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2025
San Francisco was reeling from the AIDS epidemic and during the visit, the pope was met with activists holding protest signs and participating in candlelight processions and prayer vigils, hoping to enact change.
—Shantel Guzman, CBS News, 6 May 2025
Nichols’ death reverberated in Sacramento, where family members and community activists have held vigils and called for justice.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigil
Noun
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The top 25 buyers spent more than $111 million and were granted a private VIP reception with Trump, while the top four also received a limited edition Trump Tourbillon watch that sells for $100,000.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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All his Thunder teammates were seated on stage in new Rolex watches.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Photo-illustration: Anjali Nair; Getty Images With President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the US government’s digital surveillance machine more powerful than ever, digital privacy should be top of mind.—
Matt Burgess,
Wired News,
26 May 2025
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That letter decried the role of the ECtHR in adjudicating matters related to deportation and surveillance of migrants, among other matters.—
Frey Lindsay,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vigil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigil. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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