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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patrol
Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
By the time the strike began, patrol had trimmed its ask significantly.
—Kylea Henseler, Outside, 9 Jan. 2026
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Michael Irvin and Ray Lewis have been the most visible Canes dignitaries patrolling the sideline this Playoff.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Noun
Deputies also said that Guajardo continued to drive erratically and then nearly hit a patrol vehicle during the incident.
—Verb
The flare-up occurred while the destroyer was patrolling the Middle East, a common destination for warships homeported in San Diego.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrol
Noun
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The pair later designed pieces for various regiments of the Royal Guards, the sentries protecting Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace in London.—
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Reenactors portraying British sentries were bum-rushed by a swarm of whooping Green Mountain Boys.—
Verb
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Forward Bol Dengdit led UCSD with 15 points, guard Alex Chaikin added 14 points off the bench and guard Aidan Burke had 10 points.—
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If someone seems guarded, move patiently and be honest about your motivations.—
Noun
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An outrageous ambition, given that he was stuck in an outpost whose end had been decreed a few months earlier by the very men who had created and funded it.—
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There are two restaurants (one helmed by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the other, an outpost of the Parisian mainstay Caviar Kaspia), as well as a playful array of amenities, from a pavement hotdog stand to a yacht for sailing trips on the Hudson.—
Verb
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Leaving stems and leaves intact through winter provides extra insulation to plant roots and crowns and protects plants from cold damage.—
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Remember, the park was originally protected because of its biodiversity, which is its biggest draw.—
Noun
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Baristas at Starbucks cafes across the country are holding pickets this week as part of a collective push for a union contract, and Phoenix workers are joining in.—
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Where will Starbucks Workers United hold rallies and pickets?—
Noun
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If investigators find that the two men underwent ISIS commando training in southern Mindanao island, that could point to a level of centralized coordination that investigators haven’t seen from ISIS in years.—
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Last time around, decommissioned Finnish army commando Aatami Korpi (Tommila) only wanted to be left alone as WW2 wound down.—
Noun
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If there is a potential for temperatures to fall into these thresholds, a freeze watch may be issued a few days ahead of time.—
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Sotheby’s estimated nearly a third of its watch sales in 2023 went to buyers age 30 and under, giving them priceless social currency.—
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.—
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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.—
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrol. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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