police 1 of 2

Definition of policenext
1
as in law
the department of government that keeps order, fights crime, and enforces statutes the appearance of a ransom note meant that the teenager's disappearance was now a matter for the police

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in constabulary
a body of officers of the law the National Guard will serve as backup for the metropolitan police in the event of violent protests

Synonyms & Similar Words

police

2 of 2

verb

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 police
Noun
Report downed power lines to the police. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026 Gerald Lopez, who taught English and coached sports at the East County school, was arrested in 2022 by El Cajon police after the then-17-year-old girl’s mother discovered a series of text messages between her daughter and Lopez. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Both trials — one in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the other in Los Angeles — pointed to the struggles Meta has faced to adequately police Facebook and Instagram, which remain the primary cash engines as the company chases Google, OpenAI and Anthropic in artificial intelligence. Ari Levy, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026 In Erie, city workers plan to aggressively police water use until sometime next week using smart meters that monitor residential usage. Evan Bush, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for police
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police
Noun
  • Critics, however, said the new law undermines democratic principles by replacing electoral legitimacy with presidential appointment.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • One dichotomy that’s set up in the book is between the language of poetry and the language of law.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The local constabulary said the British Transport Police was leading the investigation.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The decision was made on the advice of West Midlands Police, the constabulary with responsibility for overseeing security at the match.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Organic pesticides can still have environmental impacts because they are designed to control living organisms.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
  • But the website isn’t full of articles about how the earth is flat or how aliens are controlling our government.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • More importantly, Slaughter expanded her game, operating more in the post, rebounding at a higher level and continuing to handle the ball effectively.
    Aaron Segal, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
  • In a statement Friday, before the AALA results were released, a district spokesperson said school operations would depend on which employees participate in a strike, ranging from campuses remaining open to operating with limited services or potentially closing.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Colorado argued that states have the right to regulate the medical industry as a means of promoting consumer health and safety.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Citing a surge in reckless riding and pedestrian close-calls, some South Florida municipalities are launching safety campaigns or passing ordinances to regulate e-bikes on neighborhood streets and sidewalks.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • During a recent focus group of twenty Gen Z Republicans conducted by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, a subset of participants were asked to share their thoughts on Hitler.
    Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • The officers conducted a pat frisk, allegedly finding a firearm from one suspect’s jacket, police said.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Since then, multiple state laws have been passed governing how local governments must engage with tribes on land-use decisions.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
  • For now, the future of the sites is governed by existing land use rules.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • And across these two games, England managed just one goal, when Ben White tapped in on Friday.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Officials state the move will place leadership closer to the Western lands the agency manages and improve its mission.
    Terry Collins, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Police.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on police

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