as in caressing
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
affectionately patted the baby on the head
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of patting
For our littlest kids, this might mean patting the back of a worried friend, waving to an elderly neighbor, or breaking a cookie in half to share with a younger brother.
—
Catherine Newman, Parents, 22 Feb. 2026
Akhparian asked while patting himself down and feigning to be in search of a weapon.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
The dog then slumped into the boat, with one crew member gently patting it in comfort.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Harry watched on, sitting next to Damian, and sometimes patting his back when Hurley became emotional, per Reuters.
—USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Kat Dorn, a makeup artist at LRN Beauty, recommends mixing this cleaning solution with a little lukewarm water and patting the brushes dry with a paper towel.
—Taryn Brooke, Glamour, 22 Jan. 2026
During that time, policemen and policewomen, Black and white, approached Officer Daniel, hugging him, shaking his hand, patting him on the back, congratulating him — demonstrating an enormous outpouring of support and admiration.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026
Sprinkle the salt mixture all over the turkey, including inside the cavity, patting to adhere and nudging some into the crevices.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Taken together, the answers provided a sort of battle-damage assessment of the current moment, the kind undertaken while everyone is still patting themselves to figure out which parts survived the explosion intact.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
Catherine Newman, Parents, 22 Feb. 2026
Akhparian asked while patting himself down and feigning to be in search of a weapon.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
The dog then slumped into the boat, with one crew member gently patting it in comfort.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Harry watched on, sitting next to Damian, and sometimes patting his back when Hurley became emotional, per Reuters.
—USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Kat Dorn, a makeup artist at LRN Beauty, recommends mixing this cleaning solution with a little lukewarm water and patting the brushes dry with a paper towel.
—Taryn Brooke, Glamour, 22 Jan. 2026
During that time, policemen and policewomen, Black and white, approached Officer Daniel, hugging him, shaking his hand, patting him on the back, congratulating him — demonstrating an enormous outpouring of support and admiration.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026
Sprinkle the salt mixture all over the turkey, including inside the cavity, patting to adhere and nudging some into the crevices.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Taken together, the answers provided a sort of battle-damage assessment of the current moment, the kind undertaken while everyone is still patting themselves to figure out which parts survived the explosion intact.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patting
Verb
-
The basis of the important therapy stems from studies showing that holding and caressing an animal provides benefits such as relaxation, lower blood pressure, decreasing anxiety, and increasing positivity, according to the news release.—
Dawn Giangiulio,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Williams knows how to humanize this bare-bones vocabulary, minutely adjusting the voicing of a chord or caressing the last of a set of recurring motifs with a regretful ritardando.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
She was later reunited with her dog, stroking him in stunned silence before being taken to the hospital.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
-
At one point Eliot entered the TV room and found Abby with her head on Claire’s lap, Claire stroking her hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Patting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patting. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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