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
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
During Arctic Dolphin, a multinational NATO force of frigates, helicopters and patrol aircraft scoured the Norwegian Sea in pursuit of two submarines — one Norwegian, one German — posing as adversaries.
—Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Officials said that staffing shortages forced them to reassign these officers to patrol duty to meet the city’s needs.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Noun
According to a Facebook post from the national park, a park ranger found the dead wolves while on patrol in the San Francesco area on Wednesday, April 15.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
During Arctic Dolphin, a multinational NATO force of frigates, helicopters and patrol aircraft scoured the Norwegian Sea in pursuit of two submarines — one Norwegian, one German — posing as adversaries.
—Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Revere was captured by patrolling British Regulars in Lincoln, just past Lexington, and never arrived in Concord.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Officials said that staffing shortages forced them to reassign these officers to patrol duty to meet the city’s needs.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrol
Noun
-
But a Marine sentry was spotted outside the West Wing most of the day Saturday, usually a sign the president is at work.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The soldiers would have stayed as sentries before and after the performance, symbolically guarding the legacy of Taiwan’s founder.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Luke Kennard went off early in Game 1; Marcus Smart did the same in Game 2 — with Amen Thompson guarding both times.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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Harshaw asked Drozd to order the federal agents guarding Mendoza Hernandez to allow him a half-hour meeting with his lawyer before transporting him again.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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By 2036, the agency aims to sustain a continuous human presence through habitable outposts capable of supporting four-person crews for month-long stays.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Excitement—and smugness—hangs in London’s air since the city has gained its own outpost of the sceney eatery.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The idea that Chelsea’s participation in the Club World Cup impacted them is not, according to people with knowledge of their outlook, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, a majority view at Chelsea.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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As the world gets warmer and garment workers in the global South continue to bear the brunt of rising temperatures, protecting them has never been more urgent.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And unions have been printing and distributing signs, and organizing pickets and mega-rallies.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But people managed to hold small pickets in a few cities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence elite SAS and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Wall Street Journal added that the airman, who eluded capture for 36 hours and hid in a remote mountain crevice, was rescued by a specialized commando force.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Boylan, who was a licensed captain for 34 years, failed to appoint an overnight roving watch on the night of the fire — ignoring the Certificate of Inspection requirements that were hanging in his wheelhouse — and did not institute adequate fire safety drills.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Here’s what to know watch now Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.—
Kate Rooney,Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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 25 Apr. 2026.
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