patrol
verb (used without object)
(of a police officer, soldier, etc.) to pass along a road, beat, etc., or around or through a specified area in order to maintain order and security.
are patrolling
-
present progressiveof patrol.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Flashing cars carrying heavily armed policemen are patrolling the capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026
Police warn they are patrolling the streets and will continue to "intervene where there are still disturbances" to "re-establish public order and peace".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2025
About 7,000 officers are patrolling this year's street festival in west London, which is expected to attract about one million people across Sunday and Monday.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024
Bischoff said the California Department of Transportation’s maintenance crews are patrolling the region around the clock with portable pumps in tow to avoid the possibility of additional flooding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2024
‘I’ll have to leave you here. The Hunters are patrolling the old city, keeping a lookout for Orion. I need to get back to the front lines.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
