the secret police
noun
: a police organization that is run by a government and that operates in a secret way to control the actions of people who oppose the government
Examples of the secret police in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The woman in the frog costume compared Border Patrol’s presence to that of the Gestapo, the secret police force in Nazi Germany.
—
Charlotte Observer, 19 Nov. 2025
Natalie Portman stars as Evey, a young working-class woman rescued from the secret police by a masked freedom fighter known only as V (Hugo Weaving), who is leading a plot to take down the oppressors in dramatic fashion.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
More generally, the objectives of AI are determined by those with social power, whether that is in the criminal justice system, in education, in medicine, or in the secret police forces of autocratic surveillance states.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Transparency and accountability are what separate democracy from authoritarianism and legitimate law enforcement from the secret police in antidemocratic regimes.
—Christy Lopez Guest, Mercury News, 5 July 2025
Walz came under fire for likening the actions of ICE under the Trump administration to the Gestapo, the secret police force of Nazi Germany.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
During the Soviet years, the secret police kept the army under its watchful eye.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2022
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.
Charlotte Observer, 19 Nov. 2025
Natalie Portman stars as Evey, a young working-class woman rescued from the secret police by a masked freedom fighter known only as V (Hugo Weaving), who is leading a plot to take down the oppressors in dramatic fashion.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
More generally, the objectives of AI are determined by those with social power, whether that is in the criminal justice system, in education, in medicine, or in the secret police forces of autocratic surveillance states.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Transparency and accountability are what separate democracy from authoritarianism and legitimate law enforcement from the secret police in antidemocratic regimes.
—Christy Lopez Guest, Mercury News, 5 July 2025
Walz came under fire for likening the actions of ICE under the Trump administration to the Gestapo, the secret police force of Nazi Germany.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
During the Soviet years, the secret police kept the army under its watchful eye.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“The secret police.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20secret%20police. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share