patrol

noun

pa·trol | \ pə-ˈtrōl

Definition of patrol

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

patrol

verb

patrolled; patrolling

Definition of patrol (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to carry out a patrol

transitive verb

: to carry out a patrol of

Other Words from patrol Example Sentences Learn More about patrol

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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: Noun

In addition, the agency will increase patrols on other Michigan freeways starting 12:01 am July 3 and ending 11:59 pm July 4, said Special 1st Lt. — Olivia King, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State Police ticket crackdown targets Southfield," 3 July 2018 Police have increased patrols and are working in cooperation with federal agencies. — Charles Rabin, miamiherald, "Four killed in 5 shootings that have rocked Miami Gardens the past two weeks.," 26 June 2018 Environmental conservation officers have increased patrols and are prepared to enforce park closings with an infraction or arrest for trespassing, Whalen said. — Stephen Singer, courant.com, "Outages Persist In Western Connecticut, 3 Days After Storms," 18 May 2018 North Aurora police have increased patrols near Schneider Elementary after a 56-year-old woman was shot twice a few blocks away from the school. — Linda Girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "North Aurora police increase patrols after shooting near Schneider Elementary on Monday," 15 May 2018 The government significantly increased security patrols around polling stations days before voting began. — Margaret Coker, New York Times, "In Iraq Election, Voters Freed From War Focus on Daily Struggles," 13 May 2018 Wilder said the city had already increased patrols across the city the weekend Anderson was shot. — Becky Jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Investigation continues as community mourns 11-year-old fatally shot in East Chicago," 10 May 2018 Russia has increased its naval patrols in the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic and the Arctic, NATO officials say, although the size of its navy is smaller now than during the Cold War era. — Idrees Ali, Anchorage Daily News, "With an eye on Russia, U.S. Navy re-establishing its Second Fleet," 5 May 2018 Hopkins recalled the day Sam was pulled over by the highway patrol for doing 49 in a 45 mph zone—on his bicycle. — Mark Rozzo, Town & Country, "Introducing Blackberry Mountain, the Idyllic New Resort from Blackberry Farm," 11 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Today, 11 of the original forest guides remain, patrolling the park and taking care of visitors. — Felix Franz, The Christian Science Monitor, "Poachers become protectors: How tigers bounced back in an Indian park," 18 June 2018 In recent years, scientists have learned shrimp colonies are constantly at war: Males with extra-large pincers patrol the colony's perimeter like soldiers on guard duty, protecting the egg-laying queens. — National Geographic, "These Neon Shrimp Are the Bees of the Sea—Here's Why," 14 Mar. 2018 PH Quixote and PH Keston have been patrolling around the Churchill Gardens area @MPSChurchill @MPSWestminster this lunchtime as here have been reports of anti-social behaviour. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "A Horse That Often Escorted Queen Elizabeth Has Sadly Died," 4 Jan. 2019 No one in naval intelligence had passed along the information that Japanese subs had begun patrolling the area. — John Anderson, WSJ, "‘USS Indianapolis: The Final Chapter’ Review: The Depths of Tragedy," 3 Jan. 2019 In April, after a 13-year old was attacked and seriously injured on her way home from school, volunteers donned green shirts and whistles and began patrolling near the schools and the bus stop where she was assaulted. — The Star-telegram Editorial Board, star-telegram, "Don't wait for lawmakers to stop school shootings. The solution begins with the rest of us," 25 May 2018 The harbormaster and Coast Guard have been patrolling the area to ensure that boaters slow down and go around the whales, DiMeo said. — Laney Ruckstuhl, BostonGlobe.com, "Onlookers flock to get a glimpse of endangered right whales off Marshfield," 23 Apr. 2018 Allen said Gary police are cooperating with federal, state and county law enforcement authorities – including the Indiana University Northwest police that actually helps patrol the city’s Glen Park section around the campus. — Gregory Tejeda, Post-Tribune, "Gary leaders promote anti-violence campaign," 13 Apr. 2018 Obama announced in May 2010 that as many as 1,200 national guard troops would help patrol fenced areas of the border, in addition to extra customs and border agents. — Terrence Dopp, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Says Border Security Action Coming Amid Military Plans," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'patrol.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.