as in caresses
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
affectionately patted the baby on the head
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Recent Examples of pats
Each function compares itself to that function at other companies of similar scale and the functional leader pats themselves on the back for being ahead or at least not behind.
—
Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Mama pats Rafa’s head then ruffles his hair.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Tuanzebe buries his head in Bakambu’s neck and pats his back repeatedly.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
But when Sandel saw more chimps appear, the primates did not reunite in their typical fashion of loud screaming, pats on the back and holding hands.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
During the performance, the singer kneels down to hand Fox the award and pats his head before continuing on.
—Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Inside the facility, Angela empties her pockets, a guard scans her with a metal-detection wand, pats her down and asks her to spread her legs.
—Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The clip, shared by Sarah Ingle (@saraheingle), a dedicated dog fosterer, shows seven-month-old Cookie Crisps nestled in her arms while Ingle gently pats her bottom.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
As a matter of fact, pats on the back are probably very few and far between.
—Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Mama pats Rafa’s head then ruffles his hair.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Tuanzebe buries his head in Bakambu’s neck and pats his back repeatedly.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
But when Sandel saw more chimps appear, the primates did not reunite in their typical fashion of loud screaming, pats on the back and holding hands.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
During the performance, the singer kneels down to hand Fox the award and pats his head before continuing on.
—Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Inside the facility, Angela empties her pockets, a guard scans her with a metal-detection wand, pats her down and asks her to spread her legs.
—Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The clip, shared by Sarah Ingle (@saraheingle), a dedicated dog fosterer, shows seven-month-old Cookie Crisps nestled in her arms while Ingle gently pats her bottom.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
As a matter of fact, pats on the back are probably very few and far between.
—Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pats
Verb
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Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When Robbie first strokes the plush walls, her Cathy stares with the appropriate mix of awe and terror.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
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For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.—
Kristine Hansen,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pats. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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