sherlocks

noun

plural of sherlock
as in detectives
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 sherlocks
  1. detectives
  2. investigators
  3. private detectives
Noun
  • However, sheriff’s office detectives are investigating the circumstances of his death.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
  • In 2025, a psychic contacted the police department about Sophie’s case and shared information with detectives at no cost, Liening said.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Definition of detectives
Noun
  • Since then, investigators have interviewed about 60 witnesses, Ledbetter said, according to the Sun Herald in Mississippi.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, investigators reviewed social media accounts, a website and a billboard in Latin America that advertised maternity packages at South Texas hospitals to foreign nationals.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
Definition of investigators
Noun
  • Meanwhile, private detectives probed Hadley’s vulnerabilities as a witness.
    — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
  • The trio took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a PaleyFest event commemorating five decades of Charlie's Angels, the groundbreaking ABC series that followed a group of female private detectives.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of private detectives
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.

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sherlock
sherlocks
sheugh
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Cite this Entry

“Sherlocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sherlocks. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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