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
Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Border patrol agents made similar — though smaller — seizures among fruit and vegetable shipments at the same border crossing in 2021 and last year.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
Adam Price, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
These are the officers who patrol our neighborhoods every day and night and keep us safe.
—Cathy Goedde, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for patrol 
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Noun
According to a press release from the Clovis Police Department, the chase began just after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, after an officer on patrol near the Fowler and Alluvial avenues noticed a suspicious vehicle in the area.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Border patrol agents made similar — though smaller — seizures among fruit and vegetable shipments at the same border crossing in 2021 and last year.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
This border-guard force, a military tradition dating back decades, consists of a dozen sleds, each with a dog team directed by a special-forces soldier, that patrol the coastline of northern and northeastern Greenland.
—Adam Price, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
These are the officers who patrol our neighborhoods every day and night and keep us safe.
—Cathy Goedde, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for patrol
Dictionary Entries Near patrol
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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