Synonyms

on duty

Idioms

At one's post, at work, as in The new nurse was on duty that evening, or The watchman was fired because he was drunk on duty. [Mid-1600s] The antonym, off duty, means “not engaged in one's work,” as in Captain Smith was much more amiable when he was off duty. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Two National Guardsmen who were ambushed on duty in Washington received Purple Hearts, one posthumously.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Three weeks ago I was bundled to the ground while on duty - and damaged my lower back," Ayres said.

From BBC

For almost 150 years, there has rarely been a time when a member of one family hasn't been on duty.

From BBC

Bass cited the failure to keep firefighters on duty for a second shift as one reason she dismissed Crowley.

From Los Angeles Times

“Ms. Crowley was removed from her post for her failure to predeploy and her decision to send 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty on the morning the fires broke out,” Robb said.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023