pats down

Definition of pats downnext
present tense third-person singular of pat down
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pats down
Verb
  • The commission shakes down property owners by, say, requiring them to remove structures or give up development rights.
    Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
  • Later, Tom pours vodka into a Phillies cup and watches birds flutter by at night while Robbie gets his guns ready and shakes down a trap house.
    Grace Byron, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The arched surface invites the heat to spread evenly and mount in intensity, and as the fat runs down, the edges of the meat sizzle and crisp.
    Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
  • Summer means speedy runs down the 1,600-foot-long alpine slide.
    Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Before Poeltl can complete the double-team, Towns looks to the 3-point line then rifles a right-handed pass over his own head to Bridges for the easy two under the rim.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • At the lot where the Bombsight meet happens, Geisha finds out the squad is looking for V-One.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 May 2026
  • Sean is tested when his longtime friend and employee Jorge (Trey Santiago-Hudson) finds out about all of Sean’s changes and feels betrayed — Sean’s new sous chef gig means the end of the food truck, which Jorge was relying on.
    Ashley Boucher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Peuvrelle later told jurors during Ruben Flores’ trial that searches of his home turned up soil samples that tested positive for human blood, CNN affiliate KSBY reported.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
  • Thousands of miles away on Earth, her husband, Ben (Walters), searches for the truth.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • In Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, workers report intimidation, surveillance and firing threats to suppress organizing—all tactics that audits routinely miss.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • To keep the body of water a lake and an effective flood-control tool, Great Parks periodically dredges to remove excess sediment at the bottom of the lake.
    Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • His father, John Allen Wooden, a writer and creative producer and one of more than a dozen parents who spoke to NBC News about i-Ready, finds this baffling.
    Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 12 May 2026
  • The largest study of school phone bans finds mixed results.
    Greg Toppo, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pats down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pats%20down. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster