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
The National Law JournalExamples of patrol car in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dashcam footage from the patrol car shows the man popping a wheelie on Folsom Street near Regent Avenue.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Shortly after administering Narcan to a DUI suspect experiencing a possible overdose, CHP Officer Miguel Cano started to feel unwell, swerved his patrol car into a tree and was killed.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
During a meeting focused on improving survival rates, an officer with the Fort Worth Police Department recommended equipping patrol cars, in part because the AED at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex has been used successfully four times, Wood said.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2026
Recognizing the imminent danger, Fifield quickly jumped over the adjacent concrete barrier wall moments before the oncoming vehicle, a 2020 Ford Fusion, struck the rear of his patrol car.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol car
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Shortly after administering Narcan to a DUI suspect experiencing a possible overdose, CHP Officer Miguel Cano started to feel unwell, swerved his patrol car into a tree and was killed.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
During a meeting focused on improving survival rates, an officer with the Fort Worth Police Department recommended equipping patrol cars, in part because the AED at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex has been used successfully four times, Wood said.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2026
Recognizing the imminent danger, Fifield quickly jumped over the adjacent concrete barrier wall moments before the oncoming vehicle, a 2020 Ford Fusion, struck the rear of his patrol car.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol car
Cite this Entry
“Patrol car.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol%20car. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
