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
Through a blend of interviews, essays, and archival collage, Power follows the history of policing in America, from slave patrols of the 1700s all the way to the present day, putting the change in attitudes into proper context while also asking questions meant to demand change. Will Harris, EW.com, 3 Aug. 2025 The shooting was reported to police as happening near Stateline Road and U.S. Route 50. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
Section 740 of Washington’s Home Rule Act gives presidents the authority to take control of the city’s police department for up to 30 days during emergencies. Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025 The idea for Draft One came from staffing shortages that Axon’s police department clients were facing, Isner said. Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for police
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police
Noun
  • But a sprawling expanse of abusive online behavior doesn’t technically violate federal laws or individual company policies.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2025
  • The bill would have reclassified these drivers as independent contractors and exempted them from state minimum wage, unemployment insurance and worker's compensation laws.
    Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 8 Aug. 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
  • Putin seemed to control the appearance of the proceedings in front of the press.
    Nik Popli, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
  • After weeks of acrimony, concern and harsh statements, the dispute over who will control the River Forest Civic Center building at 8020 W. Madison seems to be headed toward a resolution.
    Bob Skolnik, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Japanese tech company has operated in Russia since 2006, but after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine began scaling back operations, halting console shipments and closing online and brick-and-mortar stores.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Personal watercraft cannot be operated from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, even with navigation lights.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The agency will no longer regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants or oil and gas operations.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The production of cortisol is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is the body’s main stress response system.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The California Highway Patrol, the Rocklin Police Department and the West Sacramento Police Department will all conduct DUI checkpoints in the next few days.
    Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The dance man will also conduct interviews with celebrities and go behind the scenes of many projects, including DWTS.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • American sports leagues are, in large part, governed by the terms of the collective bargaining agreements negotiated with their counterpart players unions.
    Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Nixon’s interference led to new rules to protect the integrity of government statistics, among them a regulation that governs when and how reports are released.
    Fergus McIntosh, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Uber's operational model prioritizes rapid market entry with standardized processes that can be quickly deployed across new cities, often learning and adapting on the fly while managing the complexity of hundreds of simultaneous markets.
    Tima Bansal, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • The city has hired a public relations and marketing firm that manages a website, 37Thrives, to provide drivers and businesses with construction updates and keep them apprised of traffic changes.
    John Tuohy, IndyStar, 7 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Police.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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