patrol car

noun

: a police automobile connected with headquarters by a two-way radio or computer : squad car
Placing an unarmed, compliant juvenile in the back of a patrol car transformed an investigatory stop into an arrest, the 9th Circuit held …The National Law Journal

Examples of patrol car in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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If additional funding comes together, officials hope the new station could be operating within about two years, with Martinez specifically looking forward to a garage to get their patrol cars out from the open in a public parking lot. Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026 Four on-duty officers began canvassing the area in their patrol cars, and checking with local businesses for cameras or possible sightings. Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026 Within minutes, five patrol cars arrived. Sydney Page The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 15 Mar. 2026 Investigators also found palm prints on the hood of Duckett’s patrol car that matched Teresa, which prosecutors claimed was from her being raped while on the car and trying to push away. Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patrol car

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patrol car was in 1926

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Cite this Entry

“Patrol car.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol%20car. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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