Synonyms of palpate

palpate

verb

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.

Related Words

• feel
• touch
• shave
• pat
• brush
• tap
• palp
• graze
• grasp
• clench
• skim
• hold
• palm
• handle
• clutch
• grip
• cling (to)
• clasp
• clap
• flick
• tip
• knock
• chuck
• hit
• whack
• tag
• pound
• dab
• rap

Example Sentences

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

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

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