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.
was patrolling
-
past progressiveof patrol.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
On June 9, the president posted at 12:38 p.m. that Iran had shot down an Apache helicopter that was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, adding, “The United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
When reports that ICE was patrolling near the schools started to circulate, parents stepped in to give kids rides to school using spare booster seats and car seats.
From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2026
A police officer was patrolling her yard, responding to a neighbor’s call about an open door at her home.
From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2025
The morning of the blaze he was patrolling the neighbourhood bordering the canyon and called firefighters as a plume of smoke formed.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2025
Later that evening Brother Alf was patrolling his stretch of wall when he noticed a movement in the ferns at the edge of Mossflower Wood.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
