police action
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of police action
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Decisions about where to draw the line determine when an algorithmic suspicion becomes a real-world police action, even though the public rarely sees or debates how those thresholds are set.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
Either way, these algorithmic thresholds are often invisible to the public and are set quietly by vendors or agencies, even though they shape when police action begins.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
The men were both arrested, however Hehir was subsequently released and told he would face no further police action.
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026
A spokesperson said: "No injuries were reported. No complaint was made, and suitable advice was given. No further police action is required."
From BBC • Sep. 19, 2025
Richard was surprised when he heard the announcement that the federal government had declared a police action to bring the rebels to order.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
