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
Eleni Giokos,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
Both drivers were wearing seatbelts, according to the highway patrol.
—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
Kateryna Stepanenko, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said Russian forces were increasingly trying to counteract Ukrainian drone strikes by patrolling critical southern routes with drones and interceptor units.
—
Marc Santora,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
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
The competing corridors have left them confused, forcing them to navigate not only the treacherous waters – facing threats from sea mines, aerial drones, and Revolutionary Guard patrol boats – but also the complex political currents across the strait.
—
Eleni Giokos,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
Both drivers were wearing seatbelts, according to the highway patrol.
—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Verb
Video from the Reuters news agency showed security personnel patrolling the streets of Tehran ahead of funeral processions, which are expected to take place at multiple locations in Iran and Iraq.
—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
Kateryna Stepanenko, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said Russian forces were increasingly trying to counteract Ukrainian drone strikes by patrolling critical southern routes with drones and interceptor units.
—
Marc Santora,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
