palpate

Definition of palpatenext
as in to feel
medical to examine (part of the body) by touching it The doctor palpated his ribs to see if there was any tenderness.

Related Words

Relevance

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 palpate Labor in healthcare includes taking down medical histories, making diagnoses, lifting patients, removing lumps, palpating livers, writing notes, processing claims and comforting patients. — Kevin Vigilante, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength. — Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024 At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom. — Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 25 July 2024 The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal. — Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024 Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam. — Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2024 Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway. — Zoe Hu, Washington Post, 12 May 2023 Interpreting Results To determine whether dry needling is an effective treatment for you, your healthcare provider or therapist will palpate your trigger points and ask you about your level of pain, movement, and stiffness following your session. — Brittany Ferri, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpate
Verb
  • The music on Uncle feels innate, as if Funkhouser had dug these songs out from deep within the crawlspace in his brain.
    — Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Few people feel affection for insurance companies or hospital bureaucracies that often function less as providers of care than as barriers to it.
    — Scott Levenson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Insert an oven-going thermometer into the center of an inside thigh muscle (thermometer should not touch bone).
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2026
  • European natural gas futures have not yet reached the record peaks seen during the 2022 energy crisis triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, when prices briefly touched 300 euros per megawatt-hour.
    — , CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • While this isn’t limited to Apple’s own devices, the newest iPhone models will definitely carry the biggest value and shave the most off your new Duo.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Like almost winning a race, almost shaving a second off my time for the 3200m run, my event in high school, the one that got me into college, a recruit for someone else to gamble on.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In 2022, the paparazzi leaked photos of the two holding hands, nestled into each other at a New York bar, and Holmes patting Robach on the rear.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • And, like with Quincosa, a Customs agent patted Castillo down and found multiple plastic tubes covered in tape concealed under his pants.
    — David Goodhue October 7, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Palpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!