patching it

Meanings

1. 1phrasephrasal verb

   the act of repairing or updating something, especially software, by adding a small fix

   Grammar: Formed from the verb 'patch' plus the pronoun 'it'; the object can change (patch them, patch the app).

   Patterns

   • be patching it
   • keep patching it
   • patching it up

   The developers are patching it right now, so the game may restart.

   They spent the weekend patching it after the security breach.

   Instead of rewriting the whole program, they are just patching it.

2. 2phrasephrasal verb

   the act of mending a hole or tear in something with a piece of material

   Grammar: Used for physical repairs; often followed by 'up' when the repair is quick or temporary.

   Patterns

   • patching it up
   • patching it with something

   She's patching it with a piece of denim so the rip won't spread.

   The tent was leaking, so we were patching it with tape.

Common combinations

patching it up

They had a fight but are patching it up now.

patching it together

The old system is held together by patching it together with scripts.

busy patching it

The IT team is busy patching it before the audit.

Synonyms and how they differ

fixing it

More general; 'fixing it' can mean any repair, while 'patching it' suggests a small, local repair or update.

mending it

Used mostly for fabric or relationships, not for software.

Opposites

Word family

patch verb

to repair or update something with a small piece or fix

patch noun

a small piece of material or code used for repair

Commonly confused: patching it or patching up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “patching it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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