Illustration of patchwork
- patchwork 2
patchwork
noun
patch·work
ˈpach-ˌwərk 
often attributive
1
: something composed of miscellaneous or incongruous parts : hodgepodge
2
: pieces of cloth of various colors and shapes sewn together to form a covering
also
: something resembling such a covering
a patchwork of fields
Synonyms
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- clutter
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- menagerie
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- scramble
- shuffle
- smorgasbord
- stew
- tumble
- variety
- welter
Examples of patchwork in a Sentence
The valley is a patchwork of family farms.
A patchwork of laws prevent the land from being developed.
a patchwork system of laws
Recent Examples on the Web
Wiley, wearing similarly busy patchwork jeans, continues his polite but half-hearted tour.
—
Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
As a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recently noted, the patchwork laws from state to state have contributed to the risks.
—Lavanya Ramanathan, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Eric Roth replicating the patchwork storytelling and inter-frame transitions of the book.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
It is believed to be composed mostly of water ice mixed with rock, like most of Uranus' moons, and has a patchwork surface of different types of terrain, including huge canyons, ridges and cliff faces.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patchwork 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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about these examples.
Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
As a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recently noted, the patchwork laws from state to state have contributed to the risks.
—Lavanya Ramanathan, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Eric Roth replicating the patchwork storytelling and inter-frame transitions of the book.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
It is believed to be composed mostly of water ice mixed with rock, like most of Uranus' moons, and has a patchwork surface of different types of terrain, including huge canyons, ridges and cliff faces.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patchwork
Dictionary Entries Near patchwork
Cite this Entry
“Patchwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patchwork. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patchwork
noun
patch·work
ˈpach-ˌwərk
1
: something made up of various parts
2
: pieces of cloth of various colors and shapes sewn together usually in a pattern
patchwork
adjective
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