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
Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
The morality police patrol streets and other public areas looking for violators, who face arrest, fines, beatings, or detention.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Dozens of police officers and soldiers, some carrying rifles and wearing bulletproof vests or with their faces covered, patrolled the narrow warren of streets in the cluster of neighborhoods called Zone 18 on Tuesday.
—Sonia Pérez D, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
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Noun
Iraq has beefed up patrols along its border with Syria.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
The morality police patrol streets and other public areas looking for violators, who face arrest, fines, beatings, or detention.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
There were also reports of ICE agents patrolling areas of the city where there is a heavy Indigenous presence, such as around tribal offices and businesses owned by tribal members.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Dozens of police officers and soldiers, some carrying rifles and wearing bulletproof vests or with their faces covered, patrolled the narrow warren of streets in the cluster of neighborhoods called Zone 18 on Tuesday.
—Sonia Pérez D, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 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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