patch 1 of 2

noun

ˈpach How to pronounce patch (audio)
Definition of patchnext
1
as in blotch
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part a black cat with a small patch of white next to her nose

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in speck
a very small piece a patch of land hardly big enough for a garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

patch

2 of 2

verb

as in to repair
to put into good shape or working order again patch the tire and it'll be as good as new

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb patch contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of patch are mend, rebuild, and repair. While all these words mean "to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective," patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

When can mend be used instead of patch?

While the synonyms mend and patch are close in meaning, mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

When is it sensible to use rebuild instead of patch?

The words rebuild and patch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

When would repair be a good substitute for patch?

The meanings of repair and patch largely overlap; however, repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

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 patch
Noun
Roman’s images will have the same crisp resolution as Hubble’s, but each one will capture a patch of sky at least 100 times larger. — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 OpenAI describes the incident as a failure of alignment as much as a failure of security, which is a precise description of a problem that has no patch. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
At that point, the team conducted systematic troubleshooting of the cloud service system, identified the underlying issue, patched a solution, and then closely monitored the slow upscale of traffic towards stable recovery. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026 Last Friday, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ published their most recent shortage update list naming the brands of estradiol patches on back order, intermittent back order, as well as those that are currently available. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patch
  1. blotch
  2. speck
  3. repair
  4. dot
  5. bit
  6. fix
  7. fleck
  8. particle
Noun
  • Crews are also using steam to remove blotches of chewing gum, which have turned black over time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The next morning, a galaxy of itchy red bumps and blotches stretched from my shoulder to my hip.
    — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of blotch
Noun
  • Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas.
    — Leah Eskin, Midwest Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of speck
Verb
  • Technical skills matter, but so does knowing how to build trust, repair conflict, rekindle the connection, ask for help, set boundaries, and maintain close relationships.
    — Suzan J. Song, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Days said the focus of the project is not changing the machine's appearance or replacing a piece of Pittsburgh history, but repairing the internal components that have long been nonfunctional.
    — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of repair
Noun
  • Your messaging threads are getting prettier and more useful, and those nifty Motion Assist dots that began appearing last week are rolling out widely.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • And Dean will be the quintessential Mike, commanding the defense as the green dot.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of dot
Noun
  • But the tricky bit is doing so without eviscerating Congress’ regulatory powers across a lot of different dimensions, including criminal law, that the justices may also think important.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The terrific new album was played in its entirety during the middle portion of Squeeze’s set and evoked a little bit of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds in some spots.
    — David Chiu, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of bit
Verb
  • Newcastle’s summer wobbled when news emerged in late June that Guimaraes was fixed on Arsenal.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Companies invest heavily in modernization, AI, analytics and new platforms because they’re told fixing their data will solve everything.
    — Kevin Campbell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of fix
Noun
  • The soup itself has an almost lemon curd-like acidity and sweetness, and it’s laced with flecks of fresh corn and tiny diced pieces of zucchini.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Amid his vast responsibilities running all the departments in the Giants’ front office, Zaidi still found the time to pore over MLB Draft League statistics and look for flecks of gold.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of fleck
Noun
  • Without ventilation, those particles settle on nearby surfaces like cabinets, walls, and countertops, creating a sticky film that builds up over time.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2026
  • If the event detected by this team was caused by the rare interaction between two WIMPs, this would tell scientists some things about these currently hypothetical particles.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of particle

Phrases Containing patch

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patch
patched
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Cite this Entry

“Patch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patch. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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