as in guards
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 patrols
The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 Apr. 2026
Homicide data from the Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Usually an antibody protein known as immunoglobulin A, or IgA, patrols the inner walls of the body’s organs, blocking pathogens from entering cells.
—Charles Schmidt, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
For example, the city plans to eliminate its police unit that patrols the Berryessa BART station.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The department patrols 36 square miles.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2026
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department not only patrols the unincorporated areas of the county, but also provides police service for the cities of Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos Hills.
—Katie Nielsen, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Meet Cycling Mikey, the man who patrols London’s streets and reports people who are on their phones while driving.
—Bob Herman, STAT, 17 Feb. 2026
The agency, which patrols unincorporated areas of the county, investigated 18 homicide deaths in 2025 after ending the previous year with 37 homicides — a 54% decrease.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
That includes ground troops, a 15,000-member air force that runs Iran’s missile program, and a navy of some 20,000 that patrols the Strait of Hormuz.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 Apr. 2026
Homicide data from the Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Usually an antibody protein known as immunoglobulin A, or IgA, patrols the inner walls of the body’s organs, blocking pathogens from entering cells.
—Charles Schmidt, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
For example, the city plans to eliminate its police unit that patrols the Berryessa BART station.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The department patrols 36 square miles.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2026
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department not only patrols the unincorporated areas of the county, but also provides police service for the cities of Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos Hills.
—Katie Nielsen, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Meet Cycling Mikey, the man who patrols London’s streets and reports people who are on their phones while driving.
—Bob Herman, STAT, 17 Feb. 2026
The agency, which patrols unincorporated areas of the county, investigated 18 homicide deaths in 2025 after ending the previous year with 37 homicides — a 54% decrease.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrols
Noun
-
The soldiers would have stayed as sentries before and after the performance, symbolically guarding the legacy of Taiwan’s founder.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Police had taped off several square blocks around Sixth Street, while local police and federal authorities, including Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, were at the site, according to Austin police officers serving as sentries.—
Jack Myer,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The water-resistant outer material guards your essentials against splashes, while elastic straps and multiple pockets help keep your bottles upright.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
-
In 2019, the height of the rebuild, the Dolphins, who finished 5-11, started five rookies — wide receiver Preston Williams, guards Deiter and Shaq Calhoun, defensive end Wilkins and cornerback Nik Needham.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And unions have been printing and distributing signs, and organizing pickets and mega-rallies.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But people managed to hold small pickets in a few cities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Legal experts such as the Polish Ombudsman, which protects civil and human rights in Poland, and the UNHCR have criticized Poland's suspension of the right to asylum.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This bipartisan legislation protects people with kidney disease from private insurance pushing dialysis patients off their plan prematurely.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Trader Joe’s is opening outposts in Mandeville, New Orleans, and Lafayette.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The outposts are built without the permission of Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them but other times turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Additional police resources were deployed to the area from neighboring detachments, along with the North District Emergency Response Team.—
Alexandra Koch , Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The Israeli military has amassed two major groups of armored vehicles in Sheikh Radwan, to the north of Gaza City, according to the imagery, with additional detachments of armored vehicles stationed along roads that lead toward Israel.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
At the time of the incident, the victim was carrying a bag containing the three gold chains and multiple diamond watches valued at a total of $85,000.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to lightning, hail and tornadoes, the storms have brought rain — lots of it, with scores of flood warnings and flood watches issued by the weather service over multiple states.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patrols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrols. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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