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patch

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb patch contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of patch are mend, rebuild, and repair. While all these words mean "to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective," patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

When can mend be used instead of patch?

While the synonyms mend and patch are close in meaning, mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

When is it sensible to use rebuild instead of patch?

The words rebuild and patch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

When would repair be a good substitute for patch?

The meanings of repair and patch largely overlap; however, repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

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 patch
Noun
This system features dual cutting discs that float independently, maintaining contact with the ground even on uneven patches. William Jones, USA Today, 9 July 2025 Additionally, your businesses had to be responsible for maintaining the software and infrastructure, including applying regular updates, security patches, bug fixes and troubleshooting issues. Son Nguyen, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, Canada is patching things up with India after years of yelling about foreign interference. Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 3 July 2025 You’re meant to keep the patches on for 20 minutes for the best results, but the undereye patches in particular didn’t stay on that well. The Glamour Editors, Glamour, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for patch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patch
Noun
  • White blotches — the frostbitten tissue — swelled on the roof of his mouth, uvula and throat.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 2 July 2025
  • Verticillium wilt causes similar blotches and yellowing.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Serve them with slices of prosciutto or speck, sure.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025
  • Dishes such as beef stew with speck dumplings or Wienerschnitzel in butter breaded veal cutlet, with roasted potatoes and cranberry jam, are big favorites.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • Dislocated joints have been repaired, tendons have been lengthened.
    Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
  • According to the team, the psilocybin treatments reduced oxidative stress, improved the cells' ability to repair DNA and helped preserve the length of telomeres—the protective caps on chromosomes that guard against damage leading to diseases like cancer, neurodegeneration and heart disease.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • There are three large exclamation marks at the end, with their dots dangling below them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
  • Polar's strap has a comfortable buckle connector and silicone dots to keep it in place.
    Adrienne So, Wired News, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • These particles include tiny bits of pollution from engines, heating systems, wildfires, and industrial activity But 2023 was a cautionary tale: wildfire smoke pushed the annual average back up to 8.7, a level not seen since the previous decade.
    Youssef Rafik, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2025
  • Runners-up in that Royal Box race for best-hair-on-a-couple are Louis Partridge and Olivia Rodrigo, who manage to look spanking fresh and somehow, just that little bit more relaxed and at home than Mr. and Mrs. Jonas.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • As for the games that drew small crowds, one way to fix that for next time is to avoid mid-week, midday games (that also would help with the oppressive heat) and not host as many group-stage matches in giant NFL stadiums.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
  • The most common reason for using a keyboard tray is to fix the kinds of pain caused by having your body placed in an unnatural position for extended periods of time.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • In any case, there are sure to be at least a few flecks of moss or lichen, gray or gray-green, on that side.
    Ted Updike, Outdoor Life, 22 May 2025
  • The workmanship shows in the color and precision of the grout, the mottling of dark flecks, and the triangular pieces where the arches meet — details that give the façade a subliminal liveliness.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Kaiser consistently said that the particles were harmless, inert material dislodged by a malfunctioning water heater that was not infectious.
    Paul Sisson, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
  • The unit is also equipped with a Clean Sense IQ monitor, which will keep track of any extra particles.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Patch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patch. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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