PATROLLING Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

patrolling

verb

present participle of patrol

as in guarding

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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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 patrolling The National Guard has been patrolling the streets of Memphis both on its own and alongside law enforcement. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 In 2024, the company's robot dogs were seen patrolling Mar-A-Lago in social media videos that went viral. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Veilleux asked a police dispatcher whether officers already patrolling the area could keep an eye out for the group. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026 The Louisiana National Guard is ending its eight-month deployment patrolling the streets of New Orleans, and troops will be withdrawn from the city by the end of the month. — Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Sometimes this manifests high up the pitch with Baleba patrolling the space just outside the opposition’s penalty area before looking to snatch any loose balls. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 There are two different kinds of officers patrolling the transit system. — Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026 Antony explains that the orchids time their flowering for when fruits have fallen to the ground and wasps are patrolling for food. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026 Entering his junior season, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Sydanmaa is a pillar of Mundelein’s defensive packages, patrolling the middle of the field. — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrolling

Verb

Switzerland imagines Highsmith as a recluse in the Alps, closely guarding a cache of weapons and secrets after a lifetime spent writing mysteries.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
For weeks, migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta had gathered on a beach away from the city center, sleeping on cardboard sheets, under reed huts and guarding their few possessions in tattered plastic bags.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of guarding

Verb

The new mRNA flu vaccine is also an option, as it was found in one study to be 27% more effective at protecting against illnesses in older adults than a standard shot.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Commanders at military bases and personnel protecting critical infrastructure often do not have the legal authority to destroy or degrade drones that illegally fly into their airspace.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of protecting

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patrolled

patrolling

patrolman

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

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Synonyms of patrolling

verb

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