patrols 1 of 2

noun

plural of patrol
as in sentries

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patrols

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of patrol
as in guards
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

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 patrols
Verb
The Sheriff’s Office patrols the Chain, with 6,000 acres and 15 lakes that are interconnected navigable waterways, along with the county portion of the Fox River and 26 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which patrols PCH in Malibu, has also begun posting photos of the cars the department impounded for excessive speeding. — Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 That machine also patrols property while human operators handle serious incidents. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The company’s flagship creation, a 40-gram autonomous quadcopter, actively patrols the sky. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026 Whether your cart navigates the back nine, cruises the cul-de-sac, patrols the campground, or anchors an off-grid lifestyle, this upgrade extends beyond performance considerations. — Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 24 June 2026 The defender, a former member of MLS’ Orlando City SC and who now patrols the backline at La Liga club Villarreal in Spain, has rewarded the coach by helping shut down Paraguay a week ago and shutting out Australia here in Seattle. — David Close, CNN Money, 20 June 2026 Sam Carpenter, the public information officer for the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D, which patrols Table Rock Lake, said that an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday, and the results would be released to the Overland Park Police, which lead the investigation into Lieurance’s disappearance. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026 That includes ground troops, a 15,000-member air force that runs Iran’s missile program, and a navy of some 20,000 that patrols the Strait of Hormuz. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrols
  1. sentries
  2. guards
  3. pickets
  4. protects
  5. outposts
  6. detachments
  7. watches
Noun
  • In humans, traits such as neuroticism and recklessness appear to have some evolutionary basis—emerging perhaps to provide our species with sentries who alerted us to threats, and with explorers who led the way to new food sources.
    — Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
  • Finally, unable to stand down the household guard on her own, Alicent confesses her scheme to Helaena, who orders the sentries on the ramparts to hold fire when Rhaenyra flies in on Syrax.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of sentries
Verb
  • Anthropic closely guards its training data sources, but music publishers think the court should require more transparency.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Liberty guards Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier are both looking forward to the opportunity to represent France during the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup tournament.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of guards
Noun
  • Park rangers and mountain guides install and maintain snow pickets — which are used to help build anchors for extra protection on areas like steep slopes — between the high camp and Denali Pass, the park has said.
    — Becky Bohrer, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
  • Park rangers and mountain guides install and maintain snow pickets — which are used to help build anchors for extra protection on areas like steep slopes — between the high camp and Denali Pass, the park says.
    — Becky Bohrer, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Definition of pickets
Verb
  • The feline panleukopenia vaccination also protects cats against two other common viruses — feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Florsheim’s argument has centered on Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine, which protects public rights in navigable waters and the land beneath them.
    — Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of protects
Noun
  • Despite a paywall, a graphic on the piece shows data centers in these outposts beaming valuable data to the Middle Kingdom, which, to the American government, is unacceptable.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Detroit and Philadelphia have recently become outposts for artists as New York becomes ever more expensive.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of outposts
Noun
  • His career spanned roles as Naval Security Group detachments in Japan and San Diego.
    — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
  • Additional police resources were deployed to the area from neighboring detachments, along with the North District Emergency Response Team.
    — Alexandra Koch , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of detachments
Noun
  • Lefties, meanwhile, should wear their watches on the right wrist for the exact same reasons.
    — Larissa Ratschkowski, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Tornados are relatively rare in Italy, and there were no watches or warnings for the possibility of such a weather event were issued, according to Italy’s civil protection agency.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of watches

Browse Nearby Words

patrolmen
patrols
patron
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Cite this Entry

“Patrols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrols. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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