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.
have been patrolling
-
present perfect progressiveof patrol.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
Some members of the group have been patrolling streets in immigrant communities across Southern California for federal agents, following them and recording them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2025
Capitol Police officers have been patrolling around state government buildings in and near downtown, and the Jackson Police Department patrols the entire city.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 21, 2023
Chechen soldiers loyal to Moscow arrived recently and have been patrolling in groups of about 20, the agency says.
From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
For example explosives sniffer dog teams from West Yorkshire and Lancashire have been patrolling the Mall this week.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2022
"We met half a dozen men just now, who have been patrolling this road for several hours."
From The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy
