as in touching
medical
to examine (part of the body) by touching it
The doctor palpated his ribs to see if there was any tenderness.
Related Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpating
Verb
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Were the children subjected to the marshmallow test allowed to pursue such gratifying delights, or would merely touching the treats have demonstrated their surrender to short-termism, causing the psychologist who gazed at them through a peephole to return, disappointed?—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026 -
Bell notes that vegetation touching the house provides pests with a direct bridge inside, so keep shrubs trimmed back.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The crowd was feeling good, if a bit sweaty — and a little in disbelief at the sight of a fighting ring next to one of the most hallowed symbols of American democracy.—
Liam Bowman,
Washington Post,
15 June 2026
-
Plenty of restaurants in New York are preposterously expensive, and Marcel is, too—a cocktail alone can run more than forty bucks—but the restaurant pulls off the much rarer trick of feeling actually rich.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The researchers estimated that those who got neither bright days nor dark nights were shaving five years off their lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
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The criticism died down only after shaving off nanoseconds became widespread, making the strategy less profitable.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The one-sided conversation ended with Hocevar patting Wallace on the shoulder — defusing the tension while offering little remorse.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
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If raw red onion is too strong for you, let the slices soak in ice water for 15 to 30 minutes before draining, patting dry, and adding to the salad.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Starting in third place on Sunday is Hamilton in the Ferrari, followed by teammate and home favorite Charles Leclerc who had to settle for P4 after brushing the wall while trying to retake P1 in the final moments of Q3.—
Yara Elshebiny,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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Up close, the shaggy layers framed her face effortlessly, with the shortest layers brushing just past her eyes and the longest layers grazing her jaw bone.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
Verb
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But it’s since gone about building a squad capable of qualifying for a World Cup by tapping into the Dutch diaspora and signing up players with Curaçaoan roots.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Morris said that ever since YouTube’s algorithm was tweaked to reward videos incorporating human faces, faceless creators are now mixing in straight-to-camera narration, sometimes tapping gig workers on freelance platforms Fiverr and Upwork to be their David Attenboroughs.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
13 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Palpating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpating. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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