as in to guard
to walk or go around or through (an area, building, etc.) especially in order to make sure that it is safe
The squad had orders to patrol the area. The border is patrolled by the army.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patrol
Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025
Fairfax County police said patrol officers responded to the 900 block of Dolley Madison Boulevard in McLean around 4 a.m. to assist CIA police with traffic control after the incident.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 22 May 2025
Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 May 2025
Miami Beach police vehicles were patrolling the gated neighborhood, home to the Estefans and other luminaries.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Noun
With officers on patrol not yet on scene, the drone zooms in on Lawrence Taylor, 23, atop an apartment building roof, pacing back and forth and picking items up off the ground.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025
Fairfax County police said patrol officers responded to the 900 block of Dolley Madison Boulevard in McLean around 4 a.m. to assist CIA police with traffic control after the incident.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 22 May 2025
Verb
The rest of the city is patrolled by about 98 officers.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 May 2025
Miami Beach police vehicles were patrolling the gated neighborhood, home to the Estefans and other luminaries.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrol
Noun
-
The tree had long been a way marker and memory maker: a site of wedding proposals and remembrance ceremonies, a sentry in photos from one-in-a-lifetime family vacations, taped to fridges across the world.—
Amelia Nierenberg,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Anduril makes everything from small drones to sentry towers used to police the U.S.-Mexico border systems to enable pilotless vehicles.—
William Hartung,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Seeing rookies such as defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, the first-round pick, and guard Jonah Savaiinaea, the second-round pick, out there running around with life-giving joy and their sky-high potential was refreshing.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2025
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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will return to the American Century Championship, the tournament announced Tuesday.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Photo: Courtesy of the Oberoi Group This is the second wildlife resort for Oberoi, the luxury hospitality brand with outposts scattered across some of the most covetable and far-flung destinations on the planet.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 May 2025
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After his latest excursions along the eastern coasts of Norway, Jarrett now says his team believes that rather than solely relying on concentrated trading outposts, Norse sailors frequently utilized a decentralized network of ports on the region’s numerous islands and peninsulas.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Bear in mind, a tent does not protect you from lightning.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2025
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The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The miniskirt featured pickets and showcased a white Puma logo at the waist band.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
16 May 2025
-
The rangers called for a nationwide day of action on March 1, encouraging protesters to hand out flyers to cars, put signs in front of webcams, hang banners, hang American flags upside down as a signal of distress, march in gateway towns, rally inside parks and picket around park signs.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On September 8, 2024, Israel launched Operation Many Ways, a commando raid against an Iranian missile production facility built beneath a mountain near Masyaf in northwest Syria.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In the film, Reno plays a former WWI commando turned domestic servant whose peaceful life is upended by mobsters collecting an old debt.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
16 May 2025
Noun
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The top 25 buyers spent more than $111 million and were granted a private VIP reception with Trump, while the top four also received a limited edition Trump Tourbillon watch that sells for $100,000.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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All his Thunder teammates were seated on stage in new Rolex watches.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The north was expected to be America’s rear guard, a place where values like democracy and women’s rights might have taken hold.—
Azam Ahmed,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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And assassins from a coalition of all the local indigenous tribes — out for blood over the murder of Jimmy the Creek, one of their own, last episode — slit the throats of Ming’s rear guard.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrol. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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