on duty

phrase

: engaged in or responsible for an assigned task or duty
not allowed to take personal calls while on duty

Examples of on duty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Evanston's beaches have been closed since Labor Day, the traditional end of the swimming season on Lake Michigan, so no lifeguards were on duty. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Only about a third of the department was on duty at the time and the chief, Cade Hall, had for weeks declined to preposition additional flood specialists near low-lying areas. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 In that case, the human on duty, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov, correctly judged that the system had erred. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026 The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals permanently barred California from enforcing a state law that required federal immigration agents to display identification while on duty. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for on duty

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20duty. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster