as in caresses
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
affectionately patted the baby on the head
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pats
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
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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Then Jennifer Tilly’s hand gently caresses Gina Gershon’s face from her cheek down to her chin.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Aug. 2025
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In the town’s maternity ward, the only functioning facility of its kind for miles, Taisiya strokes Assol, her daughter born Sunday into a world where suddenly the risks of being in Sloviansk have multiplied.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pats. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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