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
  • Homicide detectives are working to determine what led up to the killing.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Police said gang-unit detectives are investigating the shooting.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of detectives
Noun
  • Crime scene investigators looked for witnesses and surveillance video and collected evidence.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
  • However, a series of law enforcement investigators have testified the crime scene was not consistent with that story.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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