police 1 of 2

noun

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

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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

as in to control

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
But Memphis police say overall crime and violent crime were falling in 2025 even before the National Guard deployment began. — Joel Rose, NPR, 5 July 2026 Officers responded to the 800 block of Watts Avenue after receiving reports of gunfire, according to police. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
Verb
The dogs led searchers to the nearby pond approximately 125 yards from where he was last seen, Clayton police Major Frank Thomas said at a news conference Monday. — Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 29 June 2026 The police report said that a woman at the residence, who was suffering a deep cut on her wrist and multiple cuts to her hand, alleged to police Thorpe entered the residence and got upset with the unclean condition in the home, the outlets reported. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for police
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police
  1. law
  2. constabulary
  3. control
  4. operate
  5. regulate
  6. conduct
  7. govern
  8. manage
Noun
  • Beginning Monday, the focus shifts to whether there is enough evidence for a trial and if the death penalty is warranted, said Paul Cassell, a University of Utah law professor and former federal judge.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • And even though Georgia law does not require this, all cyclists and scooterists should wear helmets.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of law
Noun
  • Several British constabularies have added EVs to their fleets for urban policing duties, often using models such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The local constabulary said the British Transport Police was leading the investigation.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Definition of constabulary
Verb
  • Russia meanwhile has claimed that its forces now control the important town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • The plant also can be controlled by applying a nonselective herbicide, but that will not save digging.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of control
Verb
  • Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, 33, was charged with owning an unregistered aircraft that was operated by another person.
    — Kelly O'Donnell, NBC news, 5 July 2026
  • Roy Gillian began operating the business as Gillian’s Wonderland Pier in 1965.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of operate
Verb
  • The clinical version dates to research in the 1960s and 1970s, when devices tracked heart rate variability, muscle tension and skin temperature to help people regulate what was once considered automatic.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026
  • The chronic disease, which impairs the body’s ability to properly regulate blood sugar, contributed to 94,445 deaths that year.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of regulate
Verb
  • The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office used its interior drone, along with the New Jersey Urban Search and Rescue K-9 teams, to conduct sweeps of the building.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • If you're approved and accept your offer, a credit check may be conducted, which could impact your credit score.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 6 July 2026
Definition of conduct
Verb
  • Just down the coast in Laguna Beach, a city that already had rules governing the size of canopies, officials took it a step further in May and limited the use of such shade structures to certain sections of beach.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • But the majority of Americans aren’t socialists and don’t wish to be governed by kissing cousins of Karl Marx and Kim Jong Un.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of govern
Verb
  • The situation is pressing, but Coleman still manages to make a connection.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The platform has consistently managed volume over $1 billion daily since the soccer tournament began on June 11.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 July 2026
Definition of manage

Phrases Containing police

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polestars
police
police action
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Cite this Entry

“Police.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on police

Nglish: Translation of police for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about police

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