PATCHES Synonyms: 186 Similar and Opposite Words

patches 1 of 2

noun

plural of patch

as in blotches

a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part a black cat with a small patch of white next to her nose

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in specks

a very small piece a patch of land hardly big enough for a garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

patches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of patch

as in repairs

to put into good shape or working order again patch the tire and it'll be as good as new

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 patches

Noun

Apple has also started releasing Background Security Improvement updates — standalone security patches that can be applied on the fly if the feature is enabled. —

Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Officials also said temporary sidewalk patches will be replaced with permanent repairs once the stumps are removed. —

Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 26 May 2026 Law enforcement wearing masks and vests marked with ICE patches were seen pulling protesters out of a crowd and detaining them, with at least one protester dragged across the ground, video from Freedom News TV shows. —

Sarah Dewberry, CNN Money, 25 May 2026 Powdery mildew appears as white to gray spots or patches on leaves, stems, fruits, or flowers. —

Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 May 2026 Muted guitars twirl in curlicued shapes, fleshed out by harp, woodwinds, and brass; clanking bells and mbira-like harmonics flare up in quiet patches, and background vocals fan across the stereo field. —

Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 19 May 2026 The dog, who is gray with white patches, was stuck in the space for two days, according to News Channel 5 Nashville. —

Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026 Scattered in patches around coastal and inland Florida, the scrub landscape is dominated by shrubs and short oaks, all growing out of sandy soil. —

Ryan St Laurent, The Conversation, 18 May 2026 Windows 10 is officially past its prime (support wrapped up last October), which means no more updates or security patches for anyone still using it. —

Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 17 May 2026

Verb

First, find all your ilmenite-rich regions (which are typically in lunar mare, the dark patches on the moon that signify frozen seas of ancient lava). —

Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 14 May 2026 There are also discounts on self care staples like these Medicube eye patches that de-puff, firm, and brighten tired under-eyes in a pinch. —

Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026 Security patches fix vulnerabilities that scammers often target. —

Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Moore is 72 now, with 22 years of Trail of Tears patches on his leather vest, confirming his journeys. —

Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026 Flight controllers in Houston flipped their mission patches over to signify the return leg. —

Marcia Dunn, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026 The spontaneity running through Da Realest patches over the mundane stretches. —

Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026 The orchestra shifts seamlessly among movie-music impressionism, brief minimalist pulsings, patches that sound like updated Gilbert and Sullivan, and heart-on-sleeve surges of voices and orchestra worthy of Andrew Lloyd Webber. —

Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026 Estradiol patches replenish the body’s estrogen. —

Marina Kopf, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patches

Noun

Soon, red blotches were sprouting on his skin.

— Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
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