as in to feel
medical
to examine (part of the body) by touching it
The doctor palpated his ribs to see if there was any tenderness.
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Recent Examples of palpate
Labor in healthcare includes taking down medical histories, making diagnoses, lifting patients, removing lumps, palpating livers, writing notes, processing claims and comforting patients.
—
Kevin Vigilante,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—
Sarah Jividen,
Health,
11 Oct. 2024
At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom.
—
Donna Murray, Rn,
Parents,
25 July 2024
The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal.
—
Joshua Hammer,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 June 2024
Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam.
—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
19 Jan. 2024
Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway.
—
Zoe Hu,
Washington Post,
12 May 2023
Kevin Vigilante,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Expect a thorough exam, during which the provider will palpate (touch) the bicep, check for swelling or tenderness, and assess your range of motion and strength.
—
Sarah Jividen,
Health,
11 Oct. 2024
At your prenatal visits, your doctor or midwife will check your baby's position by palpating or feeling your belly to find the baby’s head, back, and bottom.
—
Donna Murray, Rn,
Parents,
25 July 2024
The lead veterinarian, Cristina Buitrago, knelt and palpated the hippo’s abdomen to feel for his testicles, located in the inguinal canal.
—
Joshua Hammer,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 June 2024
Providers may need to use special techniques during manual cancer exams in people with obesity, like when palpating larger breasts or performing a rectal exam.
—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
19 Jan. 2024
Kuang’s narrative palpates the nuances of cultural performance and writerly ethics, finally concluding that all authors steal for material anyway.
—
Zoe Hu,
Washington Post,
12 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpate
Verb
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Either way, for a community facing such deep loss, the space felt to Dondi like a warm blanket.
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On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt.
Verb
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Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic.
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Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, 40 to 45 minutes.
Verb
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The group — which Microsoft , Nvidia , Alphabet , Apple , Meta , Tesla and Amazon — shaved off roughly $2 trillion in market cap, as investors are starting to reassess the investing case for these once unbeatable mega-caps.
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Make sure to freshly shave your cheese for the best results to snack on mid-festivities.
Verb
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Been shooting some nice low scores in these last couple weeks outs here, so that’s something good to pat myself on the back.
-
One of his lawyers, Benjamin Zeman, patted the director's back.
Cite this Entry
“Palpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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