From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe likes of somebody/somethingthe likes of somebody/somethingspoken a) DON'T LIKEused to talk about someone you do not like or do not approve of I don’t want you spending time with the likes of him. b) LIKE/SIMILARused to talk about people of a particular type Information is collected through the likes of the FBI, CIA, and Scotland Yard. → like
Examples from the Corpus
the likes of somebody/something• As he snored, she told him Florence was full of jobs for the likes of him and by no means all were living-in.• She wanted a rest from the likes of Amy.• One could hear the cries of outrage from the likes of Mrs Whitehouse and Mrs Thatcher.• I think we shall not see the likes of Princess Diana ever again.• And it was on this point that the likes of Mr Graham and I had some of our most interesting debates.• I mean, if the police can get the paperwork through the likes of me, why not?• But then they were not written with the likes of me in mind. 