PAT DOWN Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

pat down

verb

Definition of pat down

as in to shake down

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pat down Following his arrest, Elijah Lebron was allegedly found with a BB gun that resembled a firearm when he was patted down, Jaques said. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2026 Its owner has said that guests were patted down by security, scanned with a metal detector wand and required to walk through a metal detector at the entrance. — Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2026 Cover lightly with soil, pat down gently, and water thoroughly. — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026 Angela and several friends watched as Carlos was patted down and searched. — Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pat down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pat down

Verb

Bernthal played the real-life Baltimore policeman Wayne Jenkins, who led a crew of officers who shook down people for cash and drugs.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 July 2026
Federal prosecutors, however, are alleging a complex plot to not only shake down Edens but also to hide evidence from the FBI.

— Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026

Definition of shake down

Verb

Photos of Bellin's injuries taken after the incident showed Bellin with blood running down her face and left arm and hand.

— Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Bright flames shot out of an overhead compartment as flight attendants ran down the smoky aisle with fire extinguishers.

— Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of run down

Verb

With four minutes until penalties, Spain venture forward, Cesc Fabregas slips in Iniesta, who rifles it home to win the World Cup.

— Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
His second attempt rifled across the box, just over a defender’s head and onto the foot of Jhon Arias near the back post.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026

Definition of rifle

Verb

Doubt and conflict flows through not just her searching eyes but also, in this case, a shrinking, defensive posture.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Think Beyond The First Page Of Google For years, online reputation management focused heavily on what appeared when someone searched a company or executive’s name.

— Evan Nierman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of search

Verb

Where once most people raked their dry autumn leaves into a pile and burned them, now many use leaf blowers to just blow them away.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Verbruggen illustrated his strengths in possession in the early stages against Leeds with a raking pass that released Maxim De Cuyper one-v-one against Jayden Bogle.

— Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of rake

Verb

After the 2012 pay cut, salaries were reviewed again in 2017 but the government chose not to adopt a recommendation to increase them.

— Reuters, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
Vela Gonzalez was dragged down the concrete steps and pushed to the ground by two agents, before a third agent emerged to handcuff him, according to video footage reviewed by The Times.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of review

Verb

No deaths have been reported, and authorities are investigating the causes of the outbreaks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Future treatments New cell and gene therapies for Huntington’s disease are being investigated, but researchers need ways of measuring what is happening inside the brain of a living person.

— Claudia Metzler-Baddeley, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of investigate

Browse Nearby Words

patchy

pat down

pate

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pat down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pat%20down. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pat down

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes