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
CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025
Across four counties in Missouri, at least 11 people have died, the state’s highway patrol said on social media in its late morning aftermath update.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Mar. 2025
The group also patrols near bus stops to make sure students go to school safely, according to an NBC News report.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
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
Eight people died in a Kansas highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025
Across four counties in Missouri, at least 11 people have died, the state’s highway patrol said on social media in its late morning aftermath update.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
When disabled, Oncor employees patrol the area to ensure conditions are safe to restore power.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Mar. 2025
The group also patrols near bus stops to make sure students go to school safely, according to an NBC News report.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patrol
Cite this Entry
“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 23 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share