# sherlock

/ˈʃɝˌɫɑk/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sherlock
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. sarcastic address

noun · CEFR B2 · Humorous · Informal

a name you call someone who has just said something very obvious.

For teachers: a sarcastic vocative used to address an individual who has stated a self-evident fact or reached an obvious conclusion.

- "The sun is really bright today." "No kidding, Sherlock."
- After he pointed out that the car wouldn't start because it was out of petrol, his sister simply replied, "Great work, Sherlock."

Usage: Usually used as a standalone exclamation or at the end of a sentence.

Teaching tip: This is almost always sarcastic; learners should be careful not to use it in formal or polite company as it can sound rude.

### 2. to deduce or figure out

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Humorous

to figure something out by looking at clues, like a detective.

For teachers: to deduce or investigate a matter through logical reasoning or close observation.

- Give me a minute to sherlock the situation before we make a decision.
- The investigators spent the afternoon trying to sherlock how the data breach had occurred despite the updated firewall.

Usage: Often used transitively with a situation or problem as the object.

### 3. to obsolete third-party software

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · Technical

when a large company adds a new feature to their system that makes a smaller company's app unnecessary.

For teachers: to render a third-party application or feature obsolete by incorporating similar functionality directly into an operating system or first-party suite.

- The small startup was worried that the tech giant would sherlock their main feature in the next update.
- Developers often live in fear that their niche utility will be sherlocked by the next OS release, effectively destroying their business model overnight.

Usage: Commonly used in the passive voice within the software development community.

Teaching tip: This term originated from Apple's 'Sherlock' search tool which replaced a third-party app called Watson.

## Examples

- I decided to sherlock that strange noise in my car.
- Before buying the vintage jacket, she decided to sherlock the brand to check for reviews.
- The journalist chose to sherlock the politician's claims, uncovering a trail of inconsistencies that the official press release had carefully omitted.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.