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patch

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb patch contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of patch are mend, rebuild, and repair. While all these words mean "to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective," patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

When can mend be used instead of patch?

While the synonyms mend and patch are close in meaning, mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

When is it sensible to use rebuild instead of patch?

The words rebuild and patch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

When would repair be a good substitute for patch?

The meanings of repair and patch largely overlap; however, repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of patch
Noun
The Legion Tab runs Android 14 and is slated to receive three major OS updates with four years of security patches. PC Magazine, 22 May 2025 Updates often include important security patches that fix vulnerabilities hackers might try to exploit. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
Update devices and software immediately: Regular updates patch security flaws that scammers exploit to install malware or hijack systems. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025 After that, though, your device will have vulnerabilities that will never be patched. Justin Pot, Wired News, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for patch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patch
Noun
  • Some leaf-mining insects make distinct patterns, like squiggles or serpentine shapes, while others make irregular blotches, like this species.
    Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2025
  • Black panthers, as they are colloquially named, are a color variation of a leopard with fully black fur or large blotches of black spots on a dark background color, according to Britannica.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The whole process is more NASA than NASCAR in that there’s not a speck of grease or oil on the bright, white vinyl flooring and everybody’s hands are clean.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
  • Or a percentage of a fraction of a risk — better lock him up, than risk a speck of backlash.
    David Katz, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • After arriving in Italy, Dad was put in charge of a group, mostly mechanics, at a hangar in an airfield and kept track of the parts and supplies needed to repair the planes that landed there.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025
  • Part of the factory’s roof caved in during a hurricane in 1988, and the damage was too extensive to repair, but about half of the building is still accessible.
    Lizzie Wade, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • The post didn’t mention Megan, but given Lanez’s conviction in the 2020 shooting case of the Houston rapper, netizens immediately began connecting dots.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 22 May 2025
  • Michaela immediately connects the dots from her creeping assistant to Ethan’s nearby house and is disappointed and infuriated.
    Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Don't load it up with more than 8 pounds of gear though, and avoid anything with pointy bits, as there's no padding here.
    Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 25 May 2025
  • People were impressed … and a little bit terrified.
    TJ Macias, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Columnist George Skelton asks, Is Kamala Harris the best option to fix California’s problems?
    Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
  • After all three bids came in over the agency’s $23.4 million budget, the project’s design was tweaked and San Diego funneled $3.6 million in supplemental money for fixing the pavement, changing traffic signals and other work.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Each shot is a singular moment in time, and plates are sometimes imbued with not just the emotional weight of the image but also flecks of dust kicked up by passing dump trucks full of debris.
    Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Then, a volunteer lit the pyre, and flecks of ashes swirled in the air.
    Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This approach has proved enormously successful, explaining everything from the behavior of subatomic particles to the evolution of the entire universe.
    Paul Sutter, Space.com, 23 May 2025
  • Since higher concentrations of aerosol particles creates clouds that are more reflective of the sun’s rays, the strength of an area’s aerosol particle sources matters.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Patch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patch. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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