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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of patrol
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
Recent immigration sweeps in the Los Angeles area sparked widespread protests and small riots downtown, as people threw rocks at law enforcement and set patrol vehicles on fire, and federal agents responded with tear gas and pepper spray.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Located near the Norris Geyser Basin, the park log structure dates to 1897 when Yellowstone was protected and patrolled by the U.S. Army.
—Diana Lambdin Meyer, USA Today, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Verb
They were first spotted by military patrol and then handed over to the police.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
Recent immigration sweeps in the Los Angeles area sparked widespread protests and small riots downtown, as people threw rocks at law enforcement and set patrol vehicles on fire, and federal agents responded with tear gas and pepper spray.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Noun
The Chinese military has regularly patrolled around Huangyan Dao to assert the East Asian power's sovereignty.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Located near the Norris Geyser Basin, the park log structure dates to 1897 when Yellowstone was protected and patrolled by the U.S. Army.
—Diana Lambdin Meyer, USA Today, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrol
Verb
-
During a recent interview in Rolling Stone, Murph was guarded but self-reflective.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
14 July 2025
-
In the first quarter, Clark was being guarded closely and well out from beyond the 3-point line.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Effectively the solar cell allows the drone to act as a CCTV sentry during daylight hours, saving battery power for when a target is spotted.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
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
Verb
-
This year’s report, released Monday, says there have been some improvements in protecting children against certain diseases through routine vaccinations.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
15 July 2025
-
Insurance can help protect you from unexpected legal or financial difficulties.—
Anne-Lyse Ngatta,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Reykjavik is a quirky, colorful and surprisingly cosmopolitan outpost on the edge of the Arctic that offers much more than a launchpad to Iceland’s volcanic landscapes.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
-
But those who are lucky enough to score a reservation (or find themselves with a Nairobi layover while visiting other Safari Collection outposts) receive access to The Retreat at Giraffe Manor.—
DeMarco Williams,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
More pickets are planned at a handful of supermarkets.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
8 June 2025
-
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters helped coordinate a picket effort at nine Amazon facilities in December.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
That likely would have meant a very different kind of operation, including commandos on the ground -- a much higher cost in terms of lives, an official said.—
ByJack Moore,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
-
Reno will star as a former WWI commando whose life of quiet service is violently disrupted when a dangerous past resurfaces.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
The National Weather Service in Louisville has issued a flood watch through 8 p.m. July 21 for several Kentucky and Southern Indiana cities and counties.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
21 July 2025
-
With its minimalist rectangular face and refined proportions, the Carino watch by Heaven Mayhem adds just enough polish to bare wrists peeking from oversized shirt cuffs.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share