1
a
: the action of traversing a district or beat or of going the rounds along a chain of guards for observation or the maintenance of security
b
: the person performing such an action
c
: a unit of persons or vehicles employed for reconnaissance, security, or combat
2
: a subdivision of a Boy Scout troop or Girl Scout troop
patrolled; patrolling
: to carry out a patrol
: to carry out a patrol of
patroller
noun
Examples of patrol in a Sentence
Noun
The guard makes a patrol of the building every hour.
Soldiers are on patrol along the border.
Army patrols combed the area.
Verb
The squad had orders to patrol the area.
The border is patrolled by the army.
Recent Examples on the Web
Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Pérez Tejada says there are also lookouts all around, waiting to signal when the patrols have moved on and the coast is clear.
—David Culver, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Frady said he’s been on many a litter patrol up and down Ecorse Creek’s three sections – the north, south, and middle branch.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 11 Apr. 2024
The Culver City Fire Department pronounced her dead at 4:44 a.m., the highway patrol said.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
During the large police response to the scene, a police patrol vehicle hit a young child, who sustained a fractured leg, Bethel said.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024
Neumann, the driver, had minor injuries, the highway patrol said.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
In 2009, Ensley and another officer opened fire on an armed man while on patrol in the Ramona Gardens housing development, injuring the suspect.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The organization also said in November one of its patrols was hit by Israeli gunfire in southern Lebanon.
—Ty Roush, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2024
Somehow, the music matches the nervous, revolutionary energy on screen: the unlikely sight of an angry Brooklyn patrolled by troops, hundreds of people clashing in the streets, a suicide bomber putting an abrupt punctuation to it all.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
In the meantime, this flow of Russian resources boosts China’s energy and food security while decreasing its dependency on vulnerable maritime routes such as the Malaka Strait, which is patrolled by the U.S. Navy.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
The route through Lebanon, Mr. Levitt said, is more difficult, particularly since the war in Gaza started, because the border on which Hezbollah operates is more heavily patrolled by both the Israeli military and U.N. peacekeepers.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The shooting occurred at the Martini Bar, a nightclub in CityPlace Doral, according to CNN affiliate WPLG, who reported that officers were already patrolling the area as part of the late-night security detail.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Governor Black had proposed hiring more officers to patrol the city's mass transit, but five months into his job at the end of 2022 he was terminated.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Albuquerque police were alerted to a shoplifting incident at a local Walgreens late last month while patrolling the area.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Four different Israeli security agencies are patrolling the outer compound entrances.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
Tada said the department has received calls about criminal activity and for medical assistance on hiking trails or in open space preserves that are usually inaccessible to the department’s patrol vehicles, which is where the UTV would come in handy.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Pérez Tejada says there are also lookouts all around, waiting to signal when the patrols have moved on and the coast is clear.
—David Culver, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Frady said he’s been on many a litter patrol up and down Ecorse Creek’s three sections – the north, south, and middle branch.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 11 Apr. 2024
The Culver City Fire Department pronounced her dead at 4:44 a.m., the highway patrol said.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
During the large police response to the scene, a police patrol vehicle hit a young child, who sustained a fractured leg, Bethel said.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024
Neumann, the driver, had minor injuries, the highway patrol said.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
In 2009, Ensley and another officer opened fire on an armed man while on patrol in the Ramona Gardens housing development, injuring the suspect.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The organization also said in November one of its patrols was hit by Israeli gunfire in southern Lebanon.
—Ty Roush, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
The man, whose name was not released, was found unresponsive by a BART officer patrolling a train car about 8 p.m. at the Walnut Creek station, the transit agency said.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2024
Somehow, the music matches the nervous, revolutionary energy on screen: the unlikely sight of an angry Brooklyn patrolled by troops, hundreds of people clashing in the streets, a suicide bomber putting an abrupt punctuation to it all.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
In the meantime, this flow of Russian resources boosts China’s energy and food security while decreasing its dependency on vulnerable maritime routes such as the Malaka Strait, which is patrolled by the U.S. Navy.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
The route through Lebanon, Mr. Levitt said, is more difficult, particularly since the war in Gaza started, because the border on which Hezbollah operates is more heavily patrolled by both the Israeli military and U.N. peacekeepers.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The shooting occurred at the Martini Bar, a nightclub in CityPlace Doral, according to CNN affiliate WPLG, who reported that officers were already patrolling the area as part of the late-night security detail.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Governor Black had proposed hiring more officers to patrol the city's mass transit, but five months into his job at the end of 2022 he was terminated.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Albuquerque police were alerted to a shoplifting incident at a local Walgreens late last month while patrolling the area.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Four different Israeli security agencies are patrolling the outer compound entrances.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patrol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
French patrouiller, from Middle French, to tramp around in the mud, from patte paw — more at patten
First Known Use
Noun
1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1648, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Phrases Containing patrol
Dictionary Entries Near patrol
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
patrol
1 of 2 noun
pa·trol
pə-ˈtrōl 
1
a
: the action of going the rounds of an area for observation or guard
b
: the person or group doing the patrolling
2
: a part of a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop
patrol
2 of 2 verb
patrolled; patrolling
: to carry out a patrol or a patrol of
patroller
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on patrol
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for patrol
Nglish: Translation of patrol for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of patrol for Arabic Speakers
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