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

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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
Dale Carpenter, a constitutional law professor at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law, said the government has broad authority to police the speech of public school teachers — but only in certain circumstances. Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2025 The problem has become so pronounced that some states, including Connecticut, have recently passed laws giving law enforcement greater powers to police these shops. Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
This included one investigation in 2019 that heard testimony from an ex-crime intelligence official, who alleged that a luxury vehicle was acquired for Mthethwa during his time as police minister – with funds removed from the secret service account, state broadcaster SABC reported at the time. Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025 Four people were killed, eight more were injured and the shooter was shot dead by police. Georgea Kovanis, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for police
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police
Noun
  • Safety information California law states that everyone under the age of 18 years must wear a bike helmet while riding a bicycle.
    Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Vedra and other debt law experts said a high rate of default judgments indicates a system that favors the pursuers over the pursued — and increases the chances someone will be harmed by an erroneous bill.
    Rae Ellen Bichell, Fortune, 29 Sep. 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
  • With Ida Engvoll as Rebecka, a Stockholm lawyer back in her small hometown after the death of a friend, and Eva Melander as Mella, chief inspector of the local constabulary, who appropriates her semi-formally to the force.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023
Verb
  • Cycling the heat on and off allows the robots to adjust speed and even change direction — proof that controlled, repeatable motion is possible at this tiny scale.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The goals of treatment are to control the infection, stabilize the patient and support any organs that are affected or failing.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The schools are considered public and receive taxpayer dollars, but operate differently from public schools that are run by a district.
    Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Some offer ergonomic designs, but all just need your elbow grease to operate.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This neurocosmetic innovation, inspired by Nobel Prize-winning research on touch receptors, works by activating sensory pathways in the skin to trigger the release of mood-regulating biomarkers, establishing a continuous feedback loop between skin repair and emotional balance.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Congress has resisted legislative attempts to regulate the technology, and federal agencies have contracted with Meta and OpenAI to use their AI models.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While the agents' colleagues were divided over the move at the time, the Bureau, under then-Director Christopher Wray, conducted a review and did not find grounds for discipline, CNN reports.
    Huo Jingnan, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The recall was initiated as a result of an analysis conducted by the FDA, which revealed the cinnamon product contained elevated levels of lead, according to the notice.
    Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • State statutes still govern permits, purchases, and restricted locations, and background checks still apply.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Amy Sadao, a nonprofit consultant who until 2019 served as the director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, attributes private museums’ lack of response this time around, in part, to their governing boards.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The dispute affected educators and policymakers statewide — but Pendleton managed to take the best of both literacy methods and apply them to the 130,000-plus students then enrolled in San Diego schools, Lopez said.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
  • This was big news in an evolving saga of how college athletics departments, facing seismic financial change, would manage to cope with growing costs like revenue-sharing with athletes.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Police.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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