as in to feel
medical
to examine (part of the body) by touching it
The doctor palpated his ribs to see if there was any tenderness.
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Recent Examples of palpate
Labor in healthcare includes taking down medical histories, making diagnoses, lifting patients, removing lumps, palpating livers, writing notes, processing claims and comforting patients.
—
Kevin Vigilante, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 25 July 2024
The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024
Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2024
Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway.
—Zoe Hu, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Interpreting Results To determine whether dry needling is an effective treatment for you, your healthcare provider or therapist will palpate your trigger points and ask you about your level of pain, movement, and stiffness following your session.
—Brittany Ferri, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2023
Kevin Vigilante, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 25 July 2024
The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024
Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2024
Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway.
—Zoe Hu, Washington Post, 12 May 2023
Interpreting Results To determine whether dry needling is an effective treatment for you, your healthcare provider or therapist will palpate your trigger points and ask you about your level of pain, movement, and stiffness following your session.
—Brittany Ferri, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpate
Verb
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In what felt like just a few seconds, the motion subsided, and my seat retreated back to the deck.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Extensive testing showed no genetic or environmental cause for her son’s condition, yet Hess felt somehow culpable.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Since the fiddle is so approachable, every hand that touches it has the ability to impact its sound.—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
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Buy Now for $176 In the compilation video, Hurley stands atop rocks on the beach and walks on the white sandy beaches of the island before letting her feet touch the water.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In a campus webinar Wednesday, Duke Executive Vice President Daniel Ennis and Antwan Lofton, its VP for human resources, summarized some of the actions Duke has taken or will be introducing in the coming weeks to shave costs.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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Federal government expenditures declined 5.1% for the quarter, shaving about one-third of a percentage point off GDP.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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After being mobbed by his team-mates, Van Dijk patted the badge on his shirt in front of the Kop and then planted a kiss on it, to rapturous acclaim.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Cue chill Schmidt, patting away on his handheld drum without a care in the world.—
Isabella Milano,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Palpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpate. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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