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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Recent Examples of patrol
Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Local bank parking lots will be dotted with extra police patrols this week after a string of robberies at ATM machines last week.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 23 June 2025
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
Homicide data from the Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Verb
Day and night, teams of 5-10 patrol the area of 50,000 acres.
—Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Local bank parking lots will be dotted with extra police patrols this week after a string of robberies at ATM machines last week.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 23 June 2025
Noun
For security applications, the robot's advanced sensors enable it to patrol complex areas, detect emergencies, and assist in rescue operations.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
Homicide data from the Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrol
Verb
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Healthcare providers use it to guard sensitive patient data and meet strict compliance standards.—
Bhupendra Singh,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Chen finished with a career-high 10 points and drew the assignment of guarding Ariel Atkins, the Sky’s leading scorer in the fourth quarter.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Noun
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The tree had long been a way marker and memory maker: a site of wedding proposals and remembrance ceremonies, a sentry in photos from one-in-a-lifetime family vacations, taped to fridges across the world.—
Amelia Nierenberg,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Anduril makes everything from small drones to sentry towers used to police the U.S.-Mexico border systems to enable pilotless vehicles.—
William Hartung,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Snag straw bags that are ideal for a beach day or brunch, straw hats to keep your face protected from the sun, and popular shoe styles like woven flats, simple black flip flops, and kitten heels.—
Rachel Trujillo,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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Today the act protects more than 2,300 plant and animal species in the US and abroad.—
Christine Peterson,
Wired News,
5 July 2025
Noun
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The international brands all have their outposts, of course, mostly on the Via Camerelle, while Jackie Kennedy’s favorite, La Parisienne Capri, is still on Piazza Umberto.—
Richard Godwin,
Travel + Leisure,
12 July 2025
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Philippe Chow, the upscale Beijing-style restaurant out of New York, will officially open its Nashville outpost in August.—
Hadley Hitson,
The Tennessean,
11 July 2025
Noun
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More pickets are planned at a handful of supermarkets.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
8 June 2025
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The International Brotherhood of Teamsters helped coordinate a picket effort at nine Amazon facilities in December.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Viewers will be sharpening their pitchforks when trans commando Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), a.k.a.—
Michael Ordoña,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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Along the way there are plenty of fights and shootouts, with both Mike and Dhani exhibiting the sort of commando skills that would belie their professions of truck driver and mountain guide, respectively.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Walmart The Lily 2 is Garmin’s lovely little lady watch.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
9 July 2025
-
Remove any watches, rings or jewelry that could constrict swelling.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 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 17 Jul. 2025.
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