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
Six Chicago police officers patrolling in an unmarked car witnessed the shooting, prosecutors said.
—
Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 27 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
The president Monday said ICE agents should not wear masks covering their faces while patrolling airports.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Crews worked overnight Sunday to contain a wildfire in Bastrop State Park, cutting fire lines and patrolling nearby neighborhoods for spot fires.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 23 Mar. 2026
In November, two members of the Guard from West Virginia were shot the day before Thanksgiving while patrolling in Washington.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Spanish authorities searched for the missing American, patrolling the seaside neighborhood on motorcycles and using underwater units to scour the water near the club where he was last seen, according to a spokesperson for the Catalan police force, Mossos d’Esquadra.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Officers were patrolling the area proactively in response to those concerns when the incident occurred.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 27 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
The president Monday said ICE agents should not wear masks covering their faces while patrolling airports.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Crews worked overnight Sunday to contain a wildfire in Bastrop State Park, cutting fire lines and patrolling nearby neighborhoods for spot fires.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 23 Mar. 2026
In November, two members of the Guard from West Virginia were shot the day before Thanksgiving while patrolling in Washington.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Spanish authorities searched for the missing American, patrolling the seaside neighborhood on motorcycles and using underwater units to scour the water near the club where he was last seen, according to a spokesperson for the Catalan police force, Mossos d’Esquadra.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Officers were patrolling the area proactively in response to those concerns when the incident occurred.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrolling
Verb
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No one else was shot or killed, including members of the presidential security detail who were supposed to be guarding the family.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
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Pope sounded ready to go, even anticipating taking on the challenge of guarding Purdue’s star guard Braden Smith, who broke the NCAA Division I all-time assist record on Friday against Queens.—
Christian Babcock,
Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, brain activity is a crucial element in protecting against that damage.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
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Reducing and monitoring traffic, specifically in residential and walkable areas, is a vital step in protecting locals, Cuthell said.—
Madison Beveridge,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patrolling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrolling. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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