patrol

1 of 2

noun

pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl How to pronounce patrol (audio)
Synonyms of patrolnext
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

patrol

2 of 2

verb

patrolled; patrolling

intransitive verb

: to carry out a patrol

transitive verb

: 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
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.
Noun
Ground crews are carrying out manual firefighting, cooling operations, patrols and constructing firebreaks to prevent the flames from spreading further. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 Northrop Grumman and Boeing have demonstrated enhanced interoperability between the MQ-4C Triton unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft and the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
The company believes its narrow design could patrol large properties at a lower operating cost than traditional security vehicles. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Defensively, Lennon probably won’t line up in the trenches this season, but he is expected to patrol the secondary as a starting safety. — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patrol

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of patrol was in 1648

Phrases Containing patrol

Rhymes for patrol

See All Rhymes for patrol

Browse Nearby Words

Patroclus
patrol
patrol car
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

patrol

1 of 2 noun
pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl How to pronounce patrol (audio)
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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