1
as in etiquette
an accepted way of conducting oneself in a given situation
Their behavior was considered a breach of diplomatic protocol.
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2
as in procedure
a preestablished method of carrying out a task and especially a scientific or medical task
The school developed a protocol for the treatment of concussions on the sports field.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of protocol
Scientists are tightening research protocols, adopting contamination controls from forensic science to ensure findings are real, not lab artifacts.
—
Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Auriemma blamed the dustup on Staley not following the proper protocol for a pregame handshake.
—David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Iran appeared to tighten its grip on the strait on Thursday, when its media reported that the government is drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor traffic.
—Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
Powell, listed out the past three games due to an upper-respiratory illness, will be listed as out Saturday due to return-to-conditioning protocol.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for protocol
Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Auriemma blamed the dustup on Staley not following the proper protocol for a pregame handshake.
—David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Iran appeared to tighten its grip on the strait on Thursday, when its media reported that the government is drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor traffic.
—Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
Powell, listed out the past three games due to an upper-respiratory illness, will be listed as out Saturday due to return-to-conditioning protocol.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for protocol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protocol
Noun
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Not according to etiquette experts.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Travel experts share key etiquette tips — from greetings to restaurant behavior — to help visitors blend in while exploring Paris.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Even the name is a misnomer, Mackey said, since the same pain can arise among women who’ve had other procedures, including lumpectomies and lymph node surgeries.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Worth noting Right-hander José Buttó underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from his right arm.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Federal rules required that phone carriers be able to track the locations of phones for emergency services; Altman struck deals with carriers to tap these capabilities for the company’s use.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The rules are riddled with conditional exemptions that even experienced attorneys struggle to interpret.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mascherano talked of formations and technique before ultimately saying his team might’ve been too caught up in the event in the first half.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
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Some of it is obviously your overall weight room physical strength, and some of it is just technique.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Spray dry toilet paper with cleansing, soothing and refreshing Pristine to create an instant wet wipe that is actually flushable and safe for your sewer and septic systems.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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By Saturday, the Pentagon had surged more than 150 aircraft to join the effort to rescue the weapons system officer, Dude 44B, including 64 fighter jets, four bombers, 48 refuelers, 13 rescue planes and 26 intelligence and jamming aircraft, sources told CBS News.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Local business growth in West Charlotte Wells Fargo’s funding also will help the CLT Alliance Foundation assess small business needs and launch readiness programs with a focus on west Charlotte.—
Chase Jordan
April 7,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
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But government hunting programs and other efforts to reduce their numbers as the human population grew led to the local extinction, or extirpation, of the animals from California more than a century ago.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, also a Republican, similarly argued that high gas prices are the primary driver of California's overall cost of living and are largely policy-driven.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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That is also reflected in the latest analysis of the bill by senate staff, which includes possible new wording focusing only on the assessment and not on establishing a new policy to bring back grizzlies.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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A lot of the Mustangs’ strategy against the Wolverines was to get the ball out wide and then double that kid and just try to frustrate Wakeland which Grapevine did time and time again.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
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Leo, who studied canon law, has spent much of his first eleven months in office assessing the Vatican internally, like a new chief executive getting to know a firm’s culture before initiating strategies for optimal performance.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protocol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protocol. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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