How to Use pat in a Sentence

pat

1 of 2 noun

• She gave the dog a quick pat.
• As the Suns unit walked back to the bench, Paul gives Bridges a pat on the butt.
  — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 27 Feb. 2022
• Sales thanked him by name with a hearty pat on the back.
  — Amanda Albee, Dallas News, 21 Feb. 2023
• Xi gave Putin a pat on the head and told him to run along now and play.
  — Peter Weber, The Week, 22 Mar. 2023
• That’s the kind of thing that makes GOP hearts go pitter-pat (at least many of them).
  — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 27 Jan. 2022
• The punch is served hot and finished off with a pat of butter.
  — Dallas News, 23 Nov. 2022
• Serve with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
  — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2023
• Add a pat of butter into the skillet and move around to coat the bottom of the pan.
  — CNN, 27 Apr. 2022
• Dear Dealing With a Dud: First off, give yourself a pat on the back.
  — cleveland, 21 May 2022
• After the play Mike McCarthy gave him a pat on the backside.
  — Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2022
• The actor then added a drizzle of hot sauce and a pat of butter.
  — Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023
• And be sure to thank your tree—say a few words, give it a pat, pick up any litter.
  — Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, 12 June 2021
• Once García arrived at the mound, Gray gave a fist bump and a pat on the back to García.
  — Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 26 July 2021
• Cut 2 ½ to 3 pounds trimmed beef cheeks (or beef chuck) into 3-inch pieces and pat dry.
  — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2021
• As other teams made moves around the league as the deadline approached, the Tigers stayed pat.
  — Andrew Birkle, Detroit Free Press, 1 Aug. 2023
• The officers stopped a man and found a firearm in the waistband of his pants during a pat-down, the chief said.
  — Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2021
• Oh man, putting a pat of it on some warm rye toast was life-changing for me.
  — Bon Appétit, 13 May 2022
• Brush the bottom and side of the skillet with the fat left in it (add a pat or two of butter if there’s not enough).
  — Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Nov. 2021
• The teaser then cuts to a stack of pancakes drenched in syrup with a pat of butter on top.
  — Bryan Rolli, Forbes, 18 May 2021
• Rinse and pat tomatoes dry, trying to keep the stems intact.
  — Star Tribune, 14 July 2021
• Still, both that guess and orbit earned me a ‘solid choice’ pat on the back from ye olde bot.
  — Erik Kain, Forbes, 5 May 2022
• To freeze slices, slightly blanch them, plunge them in ice water, drain and pat dry.
  — Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 3 Sep. 2022
• But to many, the best prize was, without a doubt, the chin scratches and head pats from their many adoring fans.
  — Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 9 July 2023
• Give yourself a pat on the back because most people are not.
  — Jon Younger, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022
• Betts then gave Freddie Freeman, the 10th batter of the inning, a pat on the backside.
  — Bernie Wilson, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023
• Plus, there's Rizzo the Rat gliding along a stove top on a pat of butter.
  — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2023
• There’s reason to believe, though, that FCD won’t sit pat.
  — Jon Arnold, Dallas News, 25 Oct. 2022
• In the booking video released Friday, a deputy conducts a thorough search and pat-down of Joseph.
  — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
• There’s one performer in this cast, too, who absolutely has it all down pat.
  — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
• Remove eggs from water and pat dry.
  — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026

pat

2 of 2 verb

• The child gently patted the dog's head.
• She patted the dough into a square.
• He patted his hair down.
• He patted my knee and told me everything would be fine.
• He patted the lettuce dry with a paper towel.
• And yet, this is not the time to pat ourselves on the back.
  — Tyler O'Neil, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2022
• Once you're done, rinse off the cleanser and pat your face dry.
  — Samantha Driscoll, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2021
• Do not just pat them on the head and sweetly smile at them.
  — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 Jan. 2022
• Kilroy’s smile grew as White reached out to pat him on the head.
  — Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 12 May 2023
• Remove the artichokes from the pan and pat them dry on the cut side.
  — Michael A. Gardiner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2022
• Fans who once called for Bohn’s job are now eager to pat him on the back.
  — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
• Rinse the morels well, pat dry, and use in place of other mushrooms in recipes.
  — Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2023
• First, cleanse with a gentle face wash and pat your skin dry.
  — Maggie O'Neill, SELF, 17 Sep. 2022
• Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the chilled crust, patting back any crumbs that come loose.
  — Genevieve Ko, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023
• Once clean, lay the seeds on a paper towel and pat them dry.
  — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2023
• First, wipe the majority of the stain with a clean cloth and pat the area dry.
  — Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2023
• Once clean, lay the washed seeds on a paper towel and pat them dry.
  — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2023
• The crew said their prayer, patted their tank and drove forward.
  — Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023
• Dot onto the bridge of your nose and across your cheeks, and pat in to soften the effect point.
  — Hannah Coates, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2023
• Lightly flour the surface of the dough, then use your palms to pat into a rough square.
  — Jessica Battilana, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2022
• Remove the pork from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and pat the meat dry.
  — Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2021
• The prevailing thought here is to pat a teammate on the back rather than stick a knife in it.
  — Joe Noga, cleveland, 7 Oct. 2022
• Dozens of Democrats crowded to the front, clapping and cheering for Schiff and patting him on the back.
  — Time, 22 June 2023
• To apply, warm about two to three drops of oil in your palms and pat lightly over your face.
  — Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024
• Skip the cotton pad with this one — pump the airy foam right into your palms and pat it on your skin.
  — Liana Schaffner, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023
• Dispense a pea-size amount in the palm of your hand and gently pat it into skin.
  — Danusia Wnek, Good Housekeeping, 16 Sep. 2022
• While most recipes dollop the biscuits on top, this dough is patted into a rough circle and scored into scone-like wedges.
  — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
• David Zaslav stopped by to chat with DiCaprio too, patting his star on the back.
  — Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
• For longer storage, freeze blackberries by first rinsing and patting them dry.
  — Christine Fiorentino, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2026
• Sullivan patted Hafley on the arm.
  — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026