PATCHES Synonyms: 186 Similar and Opposite Words

patches 1 of 2

noun

plural of patch

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

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Relevance

as in specks

a very small piece a patch of land hardly big enough for a garden

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

patches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of patch

as in repairs

to put into good shape or working order again patch the tire and it'll be as good as new

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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

Noun

From outside the jail, a person can make out the small windows set into patches of red brick. —

Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026 For small patches, mechanical methods are the best route, and chemicals will help with larger areas. —

Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026 On the sponsorship side, the Padres were the first to take advantage when MLB began allowing clubs to sell sleeve patches on their jerseys. —

Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 20 Apr. 2026 These patches don’t contain dopamine — a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) made primarily in the brain with many important functions in the body, including neurological processes necessary for pleasure, memory, and learning. —

Erica Sweeney, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Apr. 2026 The cornerstone of the collab is hydrocolloid pimple patches in trendy shapes like shrooms and daisies. —

Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026 Even Wall Street can’t answer these questions yet, but banks at least have the staffing and the money to work out the difficult structural changes needed to eventually do patches in near-real time. —

Parmy Olson, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026

Verb

Candidate mission patches for the inaugural flight suggest that Mengzhou, which features a low-Earth orbit variant designed to carry six or seven astronauts and another to take three to low lunar orbit, could rendezvous with or fly alongside China’s Tiangong space station. —

Andrew Jones, Scientific American, 9 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 There's a massive shortage of estogren patches A shortage in estrogen patches — due to manufacturing issues and some brand discontinuation — has been exacerbated by an increase in prescriptions for estrogen since the Food and Drug Administration removed its black box warning label last fall. —

Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026 Estradiol patches replenish the body’s estrogen. —

Marina Kopf, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026 For both genders, the leather patches on the back of the jeans can be customized, a service the company also offers for its boots and hats. —

Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026 Eye patches the day of are a must. —

Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 12 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patches

Noun

This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.

— Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
The eggs vary in color—from white to blue to brown—with speckles, blotches, and other markings and are also distinctive in shape.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026