How to Use pat in a Sentence

pat

1 of 2 noun
  • She gave the dog a quick pat.
  • Brush off the salt and pat the skin dry.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The smiles were wider, the pats on the back firmer.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Now give yourself a big pat on the back.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Now give yourself a big pat on the back.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 23 June 2026
  • Gone were the warm gestures and pats.
    — Katherine Doyle, NBC news, 14 May 2026
  • Place shrimp in a medium bowl and pat dry.
    — Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Serve with a warm pat of herb butter.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
  • Wash the beetroot, trim and pat dry.
    — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 May 2026
  • Then rinse them with cool water and pat dry.
    — Christine Fiorentino, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Discard brine and pat breasts dry.
    — Mary Claire Britton, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Let the seeds drain and pat them dry with a towel.
    — Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
  • When ready to cook, pat dry and season with salt.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
  • Save the pats on the back and warm words for someone else.
    — ABC News, 13 June 2026
  • Save the pats on the back and warm words for someone else.
    — CBS News, 14 June 2026
  • Wash your hands, pat meat dry and more hidden recipe steps.
    — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 27 May 2026
  • Xi gave Putin a pat on the head and told him to run along now and play.
    — Peter Weber, The Week, 22 Mar. 2023
  • Oh man, putting a pat of it on some warm rye toast was life-changing for me.
    — Bon Appétit, 13 May 2022
  • Strain out the seeds and pat dry before using.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
  • The punch is served hot and finished off with a pat of butter.
    — Dallas News, 23 Nov. 2022
  • Slice the butter thinly and place a small pat on each roll.
    — Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Things are rarely so pat for the beguiling artist.
    — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026
  • Remove eggs from water and pat dry.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Finish it with a pat of butter.
    — Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Then drain, pat dry, and add it to the chicken salad.
    — Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Strain, pat the cucumbers dry and set aside.
    — Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Be gentle and pat (don't rub) dry with a clean towel.
    — Mark Gurarie, Health, 7 Aug. 2025
  • And be sure to thank your tree—say a few words, give it a pat, pick up any litter.
    — Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, 12 June 2021
  • To freeze slices, slightly blanch them, plunge them in ice water, drain and pat dry.
    — Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 3 Sep. 2022
  • The actor then added a drizzle of hot sauce and a pat of butter.
    — Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023

pat

2 of 2 verb
  • The child gently patted the dog's head.
  • She patted the dough into a square.
  • He patted his hair down.
  • He patted my knee and told me everything would be fine.
  • He patted the lettuce dry with a paper towel.
  • Just pat ’em on the back and get ’em out.
    — U T Opinion, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Once you're done, rinse off the cleanser and pat your face dry.
    — Samantha Driscoll, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2021
  • Use a clean kitchen towel to pat the fruit dry.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Use warm water to rinse, then pat the skin dry.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2025
  • First, cleanse with a gentle face wash and pat your skin dry.
    — Maggie O'Neill, SELF, 17 Sep. 2022
  • Kilroy’s smile grew as White reached out to pat him on the head.
    — Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 12 May 2023
  • The crew said their prayer, patted their tank and drove forward.
    — Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Once clean, lay the washed seeds on a paper towel and pat them dry.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2023
  • Remove your swim clothes, gently pat your skin dry, and dress in clean clothes.
    — Daniel More, Verywell Health, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Rinse the morels well, pat dry, and use in place of other mushrooms in recipes.
    — Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2023
  • Fans who once called for Bohn’s job are now eager to pat him on the back.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
  • Penny pats Harry's snout and jumps at his face at home.
    — Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Remove the artichokes from the pan and pat them dry on the cut side.
    — Michael A. Gardiner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2022
  • Mama pats Rafa’s head then ruffles his hair.
    — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • The guard then patted Clark on the shoulder.
    — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
  • Many bidet users use a small bit of toilet paper to pat themselves dry.
    — Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2022
  • To apply, warm about two to three drops of oil in your palms and pat lightly over your face.
    — Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Wemby walked over and patted him a couple of times on the back.
    — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Megan Hargan stood with her lawyers, one of whom patted her back.
    — Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
  • First, wipe the majority of the stain with a clean cloth and pat the area dry.
    — Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2023
  • Gently cleanse the affected area, like your face, then pat dry.
    — Kathleen Felton, Health, 27 Feb. 2023
  • Dispense a pea-size amount in the palm of your hand and gently pat it into skin.
    — Danusia Wnek, Good Housekeeping, 16 Sep. 2022
  • Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the chilled crust, patting back any crumbs that come loose.
    — Genevieve Ko, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023
  • Still, companies shouldn’t rush to pat themselves on the back just yet.
    — Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2024
  • Dab, pat with your finger to blend and spread the love for some extra faux freckles.
    — Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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