Illustration of patchwork
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patchwork
noun
patch·work
ˈpach-ˌwərk 
often attributive
1
: something composed of miscellaneous or incongruous parts : hodgepodge
2
: pieces of cloth of various colors and shapes sewn together to form a covering
also
: something resembling such a covering
a patchwork of fields
Examples of patchwork in a Sentence
The valley is a patchwork of family farms.
A patchwork of laws prevent the land from being developed.
a patchwork system of laws
Recent Examples on the Web
Without legally binding reforms, entrepreneurs may continue to innovate offshore, and investors may continue to face an uneven patchwork of protections.
—
Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Trump’s work is starting to pay some dividends on the gargantuan legislation, which touches everything from tax cuts to health care to artificial intelligence, a sprawling legislative patchwork that is both difficult to explain and easy for Democrats to attack.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
We are entangled in a bureaucratic maze: FEMA, the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, IRS and a patchwork of state and local agencies.
—Robert Kaplan, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
What was left in their wake was a patchwork of sorts, with tomatoes and peppers strewn about in the open square footage and wider spaces between spring crops.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for patchwork
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Trump’s work is starting to pay some dividends on the gargantuan legislation, which touches everything from tax cuts to health care to artificial intelligence, a sprawling legislative patchwork that is both difficult to explain and easy for Democrats to attack.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
We are entangled in a bureaucratic maze: FEMA, the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, IRS and a patchwork of state and local agencies.
—Robert Kaplan, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
What was left in their wake was a patchwork of sorts, with tomatoes and peppers strewn about in the open square footage and wider spaces between spring crops.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for patchwork
Cite this Entry
“Patchwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patchwork. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patchwork
noun
patch·work
ˈpach-ˌwərk
1
: something made up of various parts
2
: pieces of cloth of various colors and shapes sewn together usually in a pattern
patchwork
adjective
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