police 1 of 2

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

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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
Hawk allegedly admitted to shooting Rooks in an interview with police. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 13 June 2025 On Wednesday, police in Seattle used pepper spray to clear out protesters, and officers in Denver used smoke and pepper balls to control a crowd. Krysta Fauria, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
Verb
Because even when our hair is protected by law, it’s still policed by culture. Sophie Meharenna, Allure, 6 June 2025 Both were attempts to police the boundaries of us—to identify, in other words, those within our circle of trust and those outside of it. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for police
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police
Noun
  • Oyun-Erdene’s supporters say his ouster had three drivers: Firstly, and with a dash of irony, his relentless pursuit of official graft, including a draft law his cabinet just submitted that would compel all public officials to justify their income.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 June 2025
  • Newsom said in a court filing on Thursday that troops had moved beyond those allowable duties to actively assist ICE agents in making arrests, in violation of a federal law known as the Posse Comitatus Act, which is designed to prevent the military from being used as a domestic police force.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • The news went out last weekend that Cadillac had been accepted by the F1 constabulary as the sport’s eleventh team, slated to enter the competition in 2026.
    Peter Lyon, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
  • It was reportedly embraced by law enforcement and Clearview sold its services to hundreds of agencies, ranging from local constabularies to sprawling government agencies like the FBI and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
    Robert Hart, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
Verb
  • After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2025
  • For the first 48 hours, her head was fully bandaged, a bit like a mummy, to control swelling.
    Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • Vienna owns and operates about 220,000 apartment units.
    Ryan Kellman, NPR, 15 June 2025
  • An oil refinery was damaged in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, according to the firm operating it, which said no one was wounded.
    Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Verb
  • Does the rule maker want to get into the business of regulating KPIs by industry?
    Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
  • While the federal government, not the state, regulates immigration, how should state and local personnel and resources be utilized for that end?
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025
Verb
  • Invoking the Insurrection Act would empower the Administration to use the military more aggressively—to conduct raids, make arrests, and engage in other law-enforcement activities against the civilian population.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
  • Protesters clashed with federal agents conducting immigration raids in L.A. last weekend, throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles while police used tear gas and flashbangs to disperse crowds.
    Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025
Verb
  • Lastly, master associations are governed by section 18.5 of the Condominium Act, even though the remainder of the Condominium Act does not apply to master associations.
    Howard Dakoff, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
  • In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Kieran manages to survive, and Sean is finally held accountable and arrested for the deaths of Gabby Birch and Bronte Laidler.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Rehrig will manage editorial direction, story development and day-to-day production.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Police.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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