as in guarding
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 patrolling
Police said officers were patrolling the area of Forest Way in Homewood North on Wednesday amid previous reports of drug use in the area.
—
Mamie Bah, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Revere was captured by patrolling British Regulars in Lincoln, just past Lexington, and never arrived in Concord.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
For years, two sets of chimpanzees lived as one in Uganda’s Kibale National Park — grooming, interacting and patrolling their territory in a cohesive community.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Police thwarted the plot while patrolling the area after spotting two suspicious individuals.
—Chase Jordan
march 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Police were patrolling the street near where the Bank of America is located, authorities said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Oakland has increased the number of dedicated officers patrolling the area in cars, as well as police on foot rounds.
—Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner threatened to arrest Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers patrolling Philadelphia’s International Airport.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026
Aaron Barker, president of Local 554 of the Association of Federal Government Employees, which represents TSA workers at Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, said ICE agents are largely patrolling lines and not doing other TSA tasks.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Mamie Bah, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Revere was captured by patrolling British Regulars in Lincoln, just past Lexington, and never arrived in Concord.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
For years, two sets of chimpanzees lived as one in Uganda’s Kibale National Park — grooming, interacting and patrolling their territory in a cohesive community.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Police thwarted the plot while patrolling the area after spotting two suspicious individuals.
—Chase Jordan
march 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Police were patrolling the street near where the Bank of America is located, authorities said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Oakland has increased the number of dedicated officers patrolling the area in cars, as well as police on foot rounds.
—Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner threatened to arrest Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers patrolling Philadelphia’s International Airport.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026
Aaron Barker, president of Local 554 of the Association of Federal Government Employees, which represents TSA workers at Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, said ICE agents are largely patrolling lines and not doing other TSA tasks.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrolling
Verb
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Green, guarding Leonard, then tipped away the Clippers’ inbounds pass out of a timeout, and Podziemski drove for a three-point play as the visitors hung on.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
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One of my strong suits is guarding the ball and guarding multiple positions.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Effective vole control includes keeping grass mowed, minimizing mulch, using traps, and protecting young trees with hardware cloth tubes.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
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Watermelon has a host of health benefits including protecting one's joints from inflammation, improving digestive conditions and being more rich in lycopene than any other fruit.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patrolling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrolling. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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