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
City News Service, Daily News, 30 May 2026
In fact, when several states passed laws restricting police quotas, the rate at which state highway patrol officers issued citations actually went up, according to Edwards’ recent analysis.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 May 2026
Dawn White, CBS News, 24 May 2026
The issue was so pronounced that officials eventually issued a 12-hour curfew in evacuation zones and the National Guard had to assist in patrolling communities.
—Daniel Tedford, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
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Noun
Although the suspect was taken into custody, police have increased patrols in and around the residential area out of an abundance of caution.
—City News Service, Daily News, 30 May 2026
In fact, when several states passed laws restricting police quotas, the rate at which state highway patrol officers issued citations actually went up, according to Edwards’ recent analysis.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 May 2026
Verb
Texas Game Wardens will be out this weekend patrolling the water and making sure everyone is following the law.
—Dawn White, CBS News, 24 May 2026
The issue was so pronounced that officials eventually issued a 12-hour curfew in evacuation zones and the National Guard had to assist in patrolling communities.
—Daniel Tedford, Oc Register, 23 May 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 31 May. 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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