sweeney
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The Flying Squad, a branch of the London police service.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
It turned out the police wouldn't raid the place until the Monday morning but in the meantime there were drinks to drink and drugs to take. Even Lettsbe and the Sweeney arrived and joined in the celebrations with us.
The police, however, did hit Jill's address early on Monday morning.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “sweeney” mean?
The Flying Squad, a branch of the London police service.
Is “sweeney” formal or informal?
sweeney is generally slang.