police forces

plural of police force
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 forces Overwhelmed police forces often failed to intervene as thousands of vandals, many wearing masks and caps that hid their faces, shattered storefront windows and walked off with merchandise. — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 The British government subsequently announced extra police forces to protect Jewish areas across the country. — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Before 9/11, the Defense Department had transferred only $27 million in hardware to local police forces. — Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026 More than 21,000 security personnel from the national police, army and armed police forces have been dispatched to aid in search and rescue efforts, officials said. — Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 The bias in police recruitment was even worse in South Africa under apartheid, when the police forces were all-white organizations that frequently abused their power in dealings with Black South Africans. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 And now, in the lead-up to October’s elections, the Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has suggested that the country’s police forces take control of the area. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 While the system has been championed by many police forces, privacy concerns have grown. — Kevin Collier, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026 The majority are run for public security purposes by local governments or police forces, but they’re also implemented in some private spaces, such as schools. — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police forces
Noun
  • One injured woman was rescued and hospitalized, and another person who was crying for help had gone silent, the police chief said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Around 200 firefighters and emergency personnel ⁠in the area around Berchtesgaden in ​the southern region of Bavaria were battling ​the flames after the building, known as the Kehlsteinhaus, caught fire on Friday, police said.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Meanwhile, police forces across the country have transformed from lightly armed constabularies to small-scale armies.
    — Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Police forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police%20forces. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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