as in to guard
to walk or go around or through (an area, building, etc.) especially in order to make sure that it is safe
The squad had orders to patrol the area. The border is patrolled by the army.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patrol
Devan Patel, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
State patrol officials said the victims included a 37-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man from Deming, New Mexico, and a 9-year-old girl from Jacksonville, Florida.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
But unlike typical National Guard domestic missions, such as helping in crises of hurricanes, wildfires or tornados, the troops sent to Washington largely patrolled popular tourist destinations such as the National Mall.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Verb
In the posts, the VTA said that transit patrol first discovered the RVs at Tamien Station without the agency’s knowledge or authorization.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
State patrol officials said the victims included a 37-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man from Deming, New Mexico, and a 9-year-old girl from Jacksonville, Florida.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
The area surrounding the plant is typically patrolled by smaller law enforcement departments, the person said, which has prompted other agencies to volunteer resources for support.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
But unlike typical National Guard domestic missions, such as helping in crises of hurricanes, wildfires or tornados, the troops sent to Washington largely patrolled popular tourist destinations such as the National Mall.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrol
Verb
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The federal investigation heightened the public’s scrutiny of city officials who worked closely with the former mayor, including Duffey, who had overseen the Public Works Department when the city sought a new security contractor to guard City Hall and other municipal facilities.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
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To the right lay the harbor, its narrow entrance guarded by the grim Morro Castle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Reenactors portraying British sentries were bum-rushed by a swarm of whooping Green Mountain Boys.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
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But now, as California enters what is historically the most dangerous part of fire season — the end of summer before the first major rains — lone human sentries have largely given way to a new type of fire lookout on mountain tops: high-tech cameras.—
Paul Rogers,
Boston Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Frank wanted to sign another senior centre-back in the summer to protect Van de Ven and Romero, who both missed large chunks of last season with muscle issues.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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Money that could strengthen communities or fund innovation instead sits idle, protected by leverage and loopholes.—
Scott Ellis,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Food and Drink As with several other Fasano hotels, the Rio de Janeiro location includes an outpost of the brand’s Italian concept, Gero (also the nickname of the Fasano Group’s founder).—
Hannah Walhout,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
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In 1992, the company expanded outside of Spain with two outposts in Portugal.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Biggest strike ever The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals said the daily pickets at 19 hospitals and clinics across the two-state region would be their largest ever strike against Kaiser.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
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While searching Wallen, an officer pulled out a pocket knife from his front picket.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In 2010, an attempt by Israel to stop another flotilla turned deadly after navy commandos boarded one boat, killing at least nine passengers and wounding 30 more.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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In a plot that echoes that of their last film, The Beekeeper, Statham stars as an ex-commando who’s since turned a new leaf as a construction worker.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Or for the wide swaths of empty seats in the upper deck that formed after the New York Giants put the game in a vice grip with a three-score lead late in the third quarter and put the Broncos on shutout watch.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
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This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The north was expected to be America’s rear guard, a place where values like democracy and women’s rights might have taken hold.—
Azam Ahmed,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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And assassins from a coalition of all the local indigenous tribes — out for blood over the murder of Jimmy the Creek, one of their own, last episode — slit the throats of Ming’s rear guard.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrol. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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