sherlock

noun

ˈshər-ˌläk How to pronounce sherlock (audio)
Definition of sherlocknext
as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons one of literature's most eccentric sherlocks, Nero Wolfe manages to solve mysteries without so much as leaving the confines of his own home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sherlock
  1. detective
  2. investigator
Noun
  • While searching the area, two other detectives spotted the Chevy parked at Southwest 64th Court and 88th Street.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Larry Baimbridge spent thirty-one years with the Houston Police Department, including stints as a homicide detective and as commander of the SWAT team.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of detective
Noun
  • The decades-long search for answers in Amy’s case inspired the couple to help establish the nonprofit, which helps to fund unsolved homicide investigations, train investigators and support victims’ families.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The footage showed the vehicles entering and exiting the site and allowed investigators to capture their vehicle identification numbers, which were forwarded to CBP, according to Earley.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of investigator
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sheriffs
sherlock
sherlocks
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Cite this Entry

“Sherlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sherlock. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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