on one's watch

English

Pronunciation

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Adverb

on one's watch

1. (chiefly US, idiomatic) During the period of time when one is in a position of authority or responsibility.
   • 1991 September 30, Michael Duffy, “The CIA: See No Evil, Hear No Evil”, in Time‎^[1], archived from the original on 2016-04-16:

     [Robert] Gates emerged from the first week of hearings bearing only a few scratches. […] He even vowed to resign if illegal activity occurred on his watch.

   • 2005 February 19, Amy Silvers, “100 miles per hour for 102 years”, in Milwaukee Journal Sentinal‎^[2]:

     Woods dismissed the idea that anyone could get away with election fraud on her watch.

   • 2005 September 22, George W. Bush, quotee, “Bush: Troops will not withdraw on my watch”, in The Guardian‎^[3]:

     President George Bush today insisted American forces would not withdraw from Iraq "on my watch" and give terrorists the chance "to claim an historic victory over the United States".

   • 2018 June 19, Lauren Gambino, quoting Donald Trump, “Trump says US will not be a 'migrant camp'”, in The Guardian‎^[4]:

     “You look at what’s happening in Europe,” he continued, “you look at what’s happening in other places – we can’t allow that to happen to the United States. Not on my watch.”

   • 2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques: Evesham (1870)”, in RAIL, number 947, page 59:

     [...] Fowler was responsible for a conservative small engine policy at the LMS, previously adopted on the Midland, which led to much double-heading - although the Royal Scot 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive was also introduced on his watch in 1928.