1
a
: the action of traversing a district or beat or of going the rounds along a chain of guards for observation or the maintenance of security
b
: the person performing such an action
c
: a unit of persons or vehicles employed for reconnaissance, security, or combat
2
: a subdivision of a Boy Scout troop or Girl Scout troop
patrolled; patrolling
: to carry out a patrol
: to carry out a patrol of
patroller
noun
Examples of patrol in a Sentence
Noun
The guard makes a patrol of the building every hour.
Soldiers are on patrol along the border.
Army patrols combed the area.
Verb
The squad had orders to patrol the area.
The border is patrolled by the army.
Recent Examples on the Web
ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
At the start of the search for Guthrie, the county deputies union blasted the sheriff for a staffing decision that allegedly delayed the flight of the sheriff's high-tech search and rescue plane — with its pilot reassigned to regular street patrols.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2026
Under the operation, US warships escorted convoys through the Gulf, while allied navies cleared mines, patrolled shipping lanes, and monitored traffic.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
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Noun
Police patrols pass through the tent city by Beirut’s coast where Shuman and his family are staying.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
At the start of the search for Guthrie, the county deputies union blasted the sheriff for a staffing decision that allegedly delayed the flight of the sheriff's high-tech search and rescue plane — with its pilot reassigned to regular street patrols.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
The once-largest navy in the world had to borrow a warship from Germany to fulfill its NATO obligations to patrol the North Atlantic.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2026
Under the operation, US warships escorted convoys through the Gulf, while allied navies cleared mines, patrolled shipping lanes, and monitored traffic.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patrol
1 of 2 noun
pa·trol
pə-ˈtrōl 
1
a
: the action of going the rounds of an area for observation or guard
b
: the person or group doing the patrolling
2
: a part of a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop
patrol
2 of 2 verb
patrolled; patrolling
: to carry out a patrol or a patrol of
patroller
noun
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