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
  • Based on witness statements, detectives identified the suspect as 35-year-old Salvador Villalaz, the Sheriff’s Office said.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
  • The police car, a silver Ford Taurus used by the investigation division, contained two Oakland police homicide detectives who were able to continue their shift after the crash, authorities said.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 5 July 2026
Definition of detectives
Noun
  • Othram, based in The Woodlands, Texas, specializes in advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, a method that can help investigators identify suspects or unknown victims when traditional law enforcement databases do not produce a match.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Police located and arrested the three suspects on June 30, though the investigation remains active as investigators search for any outstanding suspects.
    — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 5 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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