patch 1 of 2

Definition of patchnext

patch

2 of 2

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
In the summer, there are patches of white, red, and brown rock mixed with deep green forests. Alan Gionet, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026 Overall, 85 Republicans opposed the short-term patch that did not include a ban on central bank digital currency negotiated by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as part of a deal with conservative holdouts. Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
His Giants then spent $173 million in free agency — eighth-most in the NFL — to patch the roster elsewhere. Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 Security patches fix vulnerabilities that scammers often target. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patch
Noun
  • These grow to form blotches that have lighter and darker zones appearing as irregular concentric rings that grow throughout the season until the entire leaf turns black and dies.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
  • This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.
    Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • From the summit of Monte Gambarogno, the towns hugging the shore of Lake Maggiore appear as tiny specks, dwarfed by the snowcapped southern Alps to the north.
    Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
  • The only public image of the attacker — or attackers — appears as a speck in a short, grainy clip of the explosion.
    Thad Moore, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • From a young age, she was captivated by film photography, often collecting cameras, repairing them, and even reselling them in high school.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
  • That the system is repairing this longstanding exclusion?
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • This stylish lace top fits that bill with its dainty swiss dot design and airy boho raw-hem sleeves.
    Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
  • But these dots were there for months, even years, ready to be connected.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Always a Runner made a move around the final turn and needed every bit of the stretch to pass Bob Baffert’s Explora and and Michael McCarthy’s Meaning before the finish line of the 1 1/8-mile race.
    Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
  • Jackson and other experts detail why apple cores and other food waste are harmful, and why the best way to protect our natural habitats is not to throw anything out, even the seemingly harmless bits.
    Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • The fast growth of legal sports betting has also ushered in a slew of prosecutions against insiders seeking to fix elements of games, such as score margins or results of individual plays.
    Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The law will require grocery stores to keep prices fixed for at least one business day and would ban the use of surveillance data in pricing systems.
    JT Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Some bathrooms have been updated with a walk-in shower, while others (including my room) have a shower-tub combo in starlight marble, which has flecks of shiny stone that seem to sparkle, but are slightly uncomfortable to climb into and out of.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
  • Its design, crafted by Russell Sage Studio, is meant to be an on-the-nose reflection of the distillery's famed product, with bronzy walls the color of its single malt, and a ceiling painted to look like barley, reflecting the morning dew with flecks of gold throughout.
    Alessandra Amodio, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The fundamental constants that determine the masses, charges, and interaction strengths between particles are universal as well.
    Big Think, Big Think, 6 May 2026
  • People usually contract the virus only after coming in contact with airborne particles from rodent droppings, urine or saliva.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 6 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Patch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patch. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on patch

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster