1
as in blotches
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
a black cat with a small patch of white next to her nose
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in specks
a very small piece
a patch of land hardly big enough for a garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in repairs
to put into good shape or working order again
patch the tire and it'll be as good as new
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 patches
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Security teams would discover flaws in their software, vendors would bundle fixes into periodic updates, and companies would decide when to install those patches—often weekly, monthly, or even quarterly.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 June 2026
Microsoft has yet to release patches for other vulnerabilities disclosed by Nightmare Eclipse.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Johnson has designed patches for KC Current’s Pride collection, hand-painted a banner for the Google Pixel x NWSL Championship, wrestling merchandise and uniforms and more.
—Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
Security patches may continue for a year or two after a device loses iOS support, but new features won’t make it to your phone.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Fans wear ruffled shirts, eye patches and other period costume elements at concerts, which are high-energy and theatrical and adorned with skulls and crossbones, tricorn hats, and anchors.
—Sofia Goldstein, SPIN, 2 June 2026
Draped over crisp salmon like in this rice bowl (mole instead of spicy mayo; radishes instead of cucs); this is a form of recipe development, sewing together patches into a colorful quilt.
—Emma Laperruque, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026
After debuting at Coachella as an off-grounds festival experience and content playground replete with a claw machine, balloon darts, mini burgers and colorful popsicles in promotion of the brand’s Spotwear pimple patches, Rhode World will travel throughout North America and Europe this summer.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Vogue, 1 June 2026
Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026
First, find all your ilmenite-rich regions (which are typically in lunar mare, the dark patches on the moon that signify frozen seas of ancient lava).
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
There are also discounts on self care staples like these Medicube eye patches that de-puff, firm, and brighten tired under-eyes in a pinch.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Security patches fix vulnerabilities that scammers often target.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Moore is 72 now, with 22 years of Trail of Tears patches on his leather vest, confirming his journeys.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Flight controllers in Houston flipped their mission patches over to signify the return leg.
—Marcia Dunn, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
The spontaneity running through Da Realest patches over the mundane stretches.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
The orchestra shifts seamlessly among movie-music impressionism, brief minimalist pulsings, patches that sound like updated Gilbert and Sullivan, and heart-on-sleeve surges of voices and orchestra worthy of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
It has already been hastily extended with short-term patches twice this year.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Security teams would discover flaws in their software, vendors would bundle fixes into periodic updates, and companies would decide when to install those patches—often weekly, monthly, or even quarterly.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 June 2026
Microsoft has yet to release patches for other vulnerabilities disclosed by Nightmare Eclipse.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Johnson has designed patches for KC Current’s Pride collection, hand-painted a banner for the Google Pixel x NWSL Championship, wrestling merchandise and uniforms and more.
—Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
Security patches may continue for a year or two after a device loses iOS support, but new features won’t make it to your phone.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Fans wear ruffled shirts, eye patches and other period costume elements at concerts, which are high-energy and theatrical and adorned with skulls and crossbones, tricorn hats, and anchors.
—Sofia Goldstein, SPIN, 2 June 2026
Draped over crisp salmon like in this rice bowl (mole instead of spicy mayo; radishes instead of cucs); this is a form of recipe development, sewing together patches into a colorful quilt.
—Emma Laperruque, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026
After debuting at Coachella as an off-grounds festival experience and content playground replete with a claw machine, balloon darts, mini burgers and colorful popsicles in promotion of the brand’s Spotwear pimple patches, Rhode World will travel throughout North America and Europe this summer.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Vogue, 1 June 2026
Verb
Intel Macs running macOS 26 Tahoe can expect security and Safari patches for about two more years after the release of macOS 27 Golden Gate.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026
First, find all your ilmenite-rich regions (which are typically in lunar mare, the dark patches on the moon that signify frozen seas of ancient lava).
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
There are also discounts on self care staples like these Medicube eye patches that de-puff, firm, and brighten tired under-eyes in a pinch.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Security patches fix vulnerabilities that scammers often target.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Moore is 72 now, with 22 years of Trail of Tears patches on his leather vest, confirming his journeys.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Flight controllers in Houston flipped their mission patches over to signify the return leg.
—Marcia Dunn, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
The spontaneity running through Da Realest patches over the mundane stretches.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
The orchestra shifts seamlessly among movie-music impressionism, brief minimalist pulsings, patches that sound like updated Gilbert and Sullivan, and heart-on-sleeve surges of voices and orchestra worthy of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patches
Noun
-
But skimping on the self-tanner can actually result in blotches and stripes.—
Deanna Pai,
Glamour,
6 June 2026
-
The sides may be mottled with brown blotches.—
Ken Perrotte,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
This looks like tiny black or reddish-brown specks that resemble coffee grounds.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
-
But such interludes add up to small specks of stormclouds in the show’s otherwise sunny skies.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Many newer systems still have significant useful life remaining, making repairs a better financial value.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
With three types of hyaluronic acid, ectoin, and the brand’s signature thermal spring water, the moisturizer restores hydration, repairs a weak skin barrier, and plumps sagging skin.—
Essence Wiley,
InStyle,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
From the train windows, expect to spot the aquamarine waves of Ligurian Sea crashing against the stony coast, candy-colored houses huddled together on the hillsides, tiny wooden boats gliding through village harbors, and flecks of golden-sand beaches.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
-
The light had a wintry grain, with flecks of color suspended in it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
After hearing these songs, the happier ones at the beginning of the album reveal bits of shadow that Rodrigo has built into them to presage what’s to come — to presage what always comes.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Work was completed on the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool last weekend, with attention turning to other bits of the president’s construction projects, such as his triumphal arch.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Beside her, the dog shakes itself, droplets flying from it, then fixes her with an appraising gaze.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
None of that fixes the problem, because the problem is architectural, not a question of capability.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
The interns cannot connect the dots looking forward.—
Chris Perry,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Little red dots first started to turn up when the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) began sending data back to Earth in the summer of 2022.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Seasonal allergies are primarily caused by trees and grasses, whose tiny pollen particles travel on the wind.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
-
The experiment produced nanophase iron, tiny metallic particles that are widely observed in lunar soil and are considered a key signature of space weathering.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patches. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
