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
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
Key pieces: Taking cues from performance wear, the fall collection features fur and nylon puffers alongside more luxurious items like a hooded rabbit poncho and floor-length robe coat with patchwork fox, shearling and mink.
—
Thomas Waller, WWD, 21 Feb. 2025
Each garment is made in patchwork denim using pre-loved, post-consumer denim sorted in Beyond Retro’s factory in India, giving the fabric a second life and preventing it from ending up in landfill.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2025
The shift follows years of complaints about unethical people exploiting gaps in the nation’s patchwork of cannabis laws to bolster their businesses at the expense of those who followed the rules.
—James Barron, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Conservation easements belong to a patchwork of state and local policies, land trusts and landowner agreements dating to the environmental movement of the 1970s.
—Alexandra Byrne, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patchwork
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.
Thomas Waller, WWD, 21 Feb. 2025
Each garment is made in patchwork denim using pre-loved, post-consumer denim sorted in Beyond Retro’s factory in India, giving the fabric a second life and preventing it from ending up in landfill.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2025
The shift follows years of complaints about unethical people exploiting gaps in the nation’s patchwork of cannabis laws to bolster their businesses at the expense of those who followed the rules.
—James Barron, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Conservation easements belong to a patchwork of state and local policies, land trusts and landowner agreements dating to the environmental movement of the 1970s.
—Alexandra Byrne, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patchwork
Cite this Entry
“Patchwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patchwork. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share