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
The state attorney’s office will be deploying an awareness campaign combined with law enforcement patrolling and conducting undercover operations during World Cup events.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
While patrolling along the river near Tarrant County College’s Trinity River Campus, campus police found the body of an adult man in the river.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Highway Patrol troopers patrolling roadways (Texas Department of Public Safety).
—Cbs Texas Staff, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
There were also reports of ICE agents patrolling areas of the city where there is a heavy Indigenous presence, such as around tribal offices and businesses owned by tribal members.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Residents now take shifts patrolling the neighborhood in an effort to deter crime on their own terms.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Parents who might normally be busy with PTA duties are patrolling their neighborhoods, trailing ICE agents while honking car horns, and blowing whistles to warn the community of their presence.
—Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
The sightings pushed Kearns to begin patrolling the area around his former school.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 17 Jan. 2026
Duties include patrolling residential neighborhoods, shopping centers, business parks, schools, local parks and assisting with traffic control, home vacation and elderly welfare checks.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
While patrolling along the river near Tarrant County College’s Trinity River Campus, campus police found the body of an adult man in the river.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Highway Patrol troopers patrolling roadways (Texas Department of Public Safety).
—Cbs Texas Staff, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
There were also reports of ICE agents patrolling areas of the city where there is a heavy Indigenous presence, such as around tribal offices and businesses owned by tribal members.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Residents now take shifts patrolling the neighborhood in an effort to deter crime on their own terms.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Parents who might normally be busy with PTA duties are patrolling their neighborhoods, trailing ICE agents while honking car horns, and blowing whistles to warn the community of their presence.
—Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
The sightings pushed Kearns to begin patrolling the area around his former school.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 17 Jan. 2026
Duties include patrolling residential neighborhoods, shopping centers, business parks, schools, local parks and assisting with traffic control, home vacation and elderly welfare checks.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrolling
Verb
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People will also be asking who has a building big enough for our subset group of archivists documenting, artists making things, community organizers gathering, professors panicking, singers singing, parents guarding in order to gather us together again.—
Angela Pelster,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Longtime American allies who have been guarding tens of thousands of Islamic State fighters and their families agreed this week to be integrated into the Syrian armed forces.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Our students, families, and taxpayers deserve leaders who put the best interests of the community first, not individuals who appear focused on protecting one another instead of protecting the integrity of our school system.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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But many environmental experts, including Earthjustice senior attorney Mychal Ozaeta, say the proposal caters to the coal industry rather than protecting communities.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patrolling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrolling. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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