police force

Definition of police forcenext
as in police
a body of officers of the law mobilized practically the entire police force to track down the escaped criminal

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 force Local Kurdish police forces would also continue to patrol there. Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026 There is no question that ICE fits the definition of a paramilitary police force. Erica De Bruin, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026 By the late Nineties, when the media had christened the police force as the Davao Death Squad, or DDS, Duterte enjoyed the allegiance of almost every barangay captain in the city. Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 In every normal police force in the country, the standard operating procedure when an officer kills someone is to put them on administrative leave at least until a preliminary investigation can be conducted, even when officers initially believe a killing was justified. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for police force
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police force
Noun
  • Since last summer, police in Northern California have been investigating a hidden camera found in a public bathroom at a Kaiser Medical Center in Vallejo.
    Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • According to Sutton, federal agents are now being pushed into volatile crowd-control roles without proper training or coordination because local police have been ordered to stand down.
    Stepheny Price , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The local constabulary said the British Transport Police was leading the investigation.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The decision was made on the advice of West Midlands Police, the constabulary with responsibility for overseeing security at the match.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Police force.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police%20force. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

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