patting down

present participle of pat down

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patting down
Verb
  • This brainstorm is aimed at shaking down travel booking platforms.
    Susan Shelley, Daily News, 13 May 2026
  • The city hired a second firm to represent Watts, as the city was legally responsible for covering legal judgments against him despite his federal prison sentence for shaking down a drug courier.
    Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • For decades, El Capitan has kicked off the high school football season with the Vaquero Run, with players running down Maine Avenue in Lakeside.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Ace also has video of him running down the speedy Deshonne Redeaux last season to prevent a touchdown against Oaks Christian.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • What was the difference between knowing abstractly and finding out that your grandfather's grandfather was enslaved?
    Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Social media reactions to the announcement suggest that some users are only now finding out that their data was being used for AI training.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 13 Aug. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Patting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patting%20down. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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