1
as in rules
an accepted way of conducting oneself in a given situation
Their behavior was considered a breach of diplomatic protocol.
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2
as in procedures
a preestablished method of carrying out a task and especially a scientific or medical task
The school developed a protocol for the treatment of concussions on the sports field.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of protocols
State officials who are defendants in the lawsuit denied restricting the detainees' access to their attorneys and said any protocols were in place for security reasons and to make sure there was sufficient staffing.
—
CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Consulate activated its emergency protocols, the ministry stated.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
In Minneapolis — and other cities that have seen immigration enforcement surges, including Chicago and Los Angeles — some businesses have put up signs to label private spaces and set wider protocols for what to do when ICE arrives.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Government SUVs converge on the studio lot; manhunt protocols activate.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
The team is now working to standardize protocols and ensure that the system remains reliable under diverse environmental conditions.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors also called several law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, showing some of their body camera footage that captured Gonzales, and others who testified as experts on active shooter response protocols.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
Several weeks later, when one of Crow’s staffers went to the facility, following a different but related set of protocols, two conservative members of the Aurora City Council accosted him.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Five years after the height of the pandemic, many facilities employ dedicated infection preventionists to monitor outbreaks, audit hygiene and protective-equipment use, and ensure protocols are followed, Deardoff said.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Consulate activated its emergency protocols, the ministry stated.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
In Minneapolis — and other cities that have seen immigration enforcement surges, including Chicago and Los Angeles — some businesses have put up signs to label private spaces and set wider protocols for what to do when ICE arrives.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Government SUVs converge on the studio lot; manhunt protocols activate.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
The team is now working to standardize protocols and ensure that the system remains reliable under diverse environmental conditions.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors also called several law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, showing some of their body camera footage that captured Gonzales, and others who testified as experts on active shooter response protocols.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
Several weeks later, when one of Crow’s staffers went to the facility, following a different but related set of protocols, two conservative members of the Aurora City Council accosted him.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Five years after the height of the pandemic, many facilities employ dedicated infection preventionists to monitor outbreaks, audit hygiene and protective-equipment use, and ensure protocols are followed, Deardoff said.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protocols
Noun
-
So there's really no choice but for the four major conference commissioners to compile a set of rules and guidelines that make at least a marginal bit of sense.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck, a witness called by Democrats, said the nondisclosure process followed then-existing DOJ guidelines and that Congress only revised notification rules after a 2024 inspector general report.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The judge has ordered prosecutors to bring in an Altoona police officer to testify about the department's arrest procedures, and the witness doesn't have to be an officer who was at the scene.—
Lisa Rozner,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The initial July executive order directed OHCA to update its credentialing and contracting procedures to exclude certain providers or entities from new or renewed participation in Oklahoma’s Medicaid program.—
Jillian Taylor,
StateImpact,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The team used vacuum or micro-injection techniques The team with LLNL’s Nuclear and Chemical Sciences (NACS) Division, developed the radiochemical techniques to purify target material.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This short film blends traditional animation with abstract expressionism using innovative video-to-video techniques.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.—
Simon Akam,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
-
Leonora measures out her days in courtesies and slights, the former dominating the beginning of the book, the latter rapidly gaining ground.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That requires policymakers to distinguish between ideas that sound compassionate and policies that work.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
-
According to a list of demands posted at the front doors of the mayor’s office, the activists were demanding clarification of the city’s policies regarding police interaction with immigration authorities.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Weiser, who is running for governor in this year’s election, characterized the attacks as Trump trying to leverage the power of the executive branch to exercise unconstitutional authority over how individual states conduct elections and oversee their criminal justice systems.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Modern apartments have all the latest fire protection systems, such as sprinklers.—
Rachel Kim,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protocols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protocols. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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