as in to shake down
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Recent Examples of pat down
He was found carrying a gun in a holster when he was patted down and a magazine in his pants pocket, police said.
—
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
One Flew South The first and only location of Atlanta’s heralded fine dining airport restaurant that doesn’t require a TSA pat down, One Flew South opened in Inman Park in 2022, with an expansive patio directly facing the Eastside Trail.
—Mike Jordan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Aug. 2025
Additional screenings could include a pat down or inspection of property, said Pipia.
—Alex Groth, jsonline.com, 7 May 2025
He was patted down before officers reportedly found a Ruger handgun that was loaded with six rounds of ammunition, according to police.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pat down
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
One Flew South The first and only location of Atlanta’s heralded fine dining airport restaurant that doesn’t require a TSA pat down, One Flew South opened in Inman Park in 2022, with an expansive patio directly facing the Eastside Trail.
—Mike Jordan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Aug. 2025
Additional screenings could include a pat down or inspection of property, said Pipia.
—Alex Groth, jsonline.com, 7 May 2025
He was patted down before officers reportedly found a Ruger handgun that was loaded with six rounds of ammunition, according to police.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pat down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pat down
Verb
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The laps were completed as part of a promotional filming day, serving the dual purpose of gathering footage of the car on track, and the opportunity to shake down the car to ensure all systems are working as expected in preparation for official pre-season testing.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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While promising that seizing Maduro would lead to freedom, Trump was shaking down the remaining members of the authoritarian government for profit.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Several reservoirs, including Loch Lomond, the main water supply for the city of Santa Cruz, and Lake Cachuma, the largest reservoir in Santa Barbara County, were 100% full on Wednesday, with water running down their spillways.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Hill has the speed and athleticism to run down ball carriers sideline to sideline, and the size (6-3, 238) and attitude to meet them in the hole with authority.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the 2025 season progressed, Jones returned to the hiring processes of defensive coordinators Matt Eberflus, Mike Zimmer and Dan Quinn — former head coaches with years of experience calling defenses — to find out what went wrong during the season.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Once the emperor found out, Valentine was executed.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Another goal against Fulham on Sunday continued Cunha’s purple patch; collecting a no-look pass from Casemiro on the right of the penalty area before rifling a powerful effort into the roof of Bernd Leno’s net.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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The junior then rifled a cross towards the near post, where a cutting Annabel Grentz headed it into the bottom-right corner, handing the Patriots the 2-1 advantage.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Just search The Outside Podcast on YouTube to enjoy these chitchats with your eyes as well as your ears.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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Give it a Google search Law enforcement, government officials, think tanks and academics have spent two decades searching for evidence of noncitizens voting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Just ask DePaul-area resident Janice Hughes, who claims she was rear-ended by a Coco robot while raking the parkway in front of her home.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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Alongside the bodies of martyrs from Iran’s past wars, the dusty earth of Behesht-e Zahra cemetery now cradles the remains of protesters killed in January’s protests, the latest conflict to rake Iran’s streets.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
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He has not been formally charged with cheating by World Curling, which does not use video to review game play.—
STEVE DOUGLAS,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Earlier this month, a newborn baby died from a listeria infection in New Mexico after the infant’s mother drank raw milk, and officials there are warning people off those products while the death is being investigated.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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But, that same year, the FBI began investigating the department for misuse of civil asset forfeiture funds.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pat down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pat%20down. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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