as in guarded
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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 patrolled
French aircraft patrolled North American skies to free our own for attacks in Afghanistan, which became a NATO theater of operations.
—
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Several Redlands police vehicles patrolled the rally area, slowly rolling by.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Grabbing a friend as her passenger seat sidekick, the two patrolled the neighborhood for signs of ICE activity.
—Alessandra Schade, Time, 14 Feb. 2026
Relatives of the injured drove ahead, in separate cars, and alerted the convoy to checkpoints or police who patrolled intersections along their route.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
How to reduce risk of a shark attack For those who are worried about the risk of an attack, McMurray said to stay in groups near the shore and in areas patrolled by lifeguards.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Centers patrolled by groups of parent volunteers watching for federal agents at drop-off and pick-up times.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Adults patrolled the streets to keep bears away.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
Many officers patrolled on bicycles and motorcycles.
—Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Jan. 2026
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Several Redlands police vehicles patrolled the rally area, slowly rolling by.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Grabbing a friend as her passenger seat sidekick, the two patrolled the neighborhood for signs of ICE activity.
—Alessandra Schade, Time, 14 Feb. 2026
Relatives of the injured drove ahead, in separate cars, and alerted the convoy to checkpoints or police who patrolled intersections along their route.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
How to reduce risk of a shark attack For those who are worried about the risk of an attack, McMurray said to stay in groups near the shore and in areas patrolled by lifeguards.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Centers patrolled by groups of parent volunteers watching for federal agents at drop-off and pick-up times.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Adults patrolled the streets to keep bears away.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
Many officers patrolled on bicycles and motorcycles.
—Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrolled
Verb
-
Both public parks and private allotments served as compensation for a long process of enclosing public commons to make the urban and rural landscapes of today, in which territories are divided, fenced, and often guarded.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
He’s guarded some of the best players in the league.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As a child, Sky Roberts remembers how his big sister Virginia protected him.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The Wizards hope that an early lottery pick will join that nucleus this offseason, but the team owes a top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick to the New York Knicks.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patrolled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrolled. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
