as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
unable to get the interest of the police, they hired a private eye to find their missing daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private eye
Some, like Lee, aren’t fit to live anywhere else; others, like closeted introvert Dale or Marty (the great Keith David), a Black private eye in the Washbergs’ employ, are just working with the hand they’ve been dealt.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Short version: In this movie co-written and directed by Ethan Coen, Margaret Qualley plays a swaggering, small-town private eye whose investigations into a series of strange deaths lead her to a mysterious church run by a charismatic (and corrupt) preacher played by Chris Evans.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
On one level, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man is a private eye novel.
—Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The track ended the contract after only a few months of effort by the private eyes.
—Katie Bo Lillis, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Short version: In this movie co-written and directed by Ethan Coen, Margaret Qualley plays a swaggering, small-town private eye whose investigations into a series of strange deaths lead her to a mysterious church run by a charismatic (and corrupt) preacher played by Chris Evans.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
On one level, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man is a private eye novel.
—Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The track ended the contract after only a few months of effort by the private eyes.
—Katie Bo Lillis, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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Maybe archaeologists and detectives are not so different.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Oct. 2025
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Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office at 508-832-9124 or Gardner police at 978-632-5600.—
Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Less than 24 hours later, investigators say Lauren Spors beat her mother to death with a rock.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in an October 26 statement that investigators made the arrests the previous evening.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And while the chemistry in the show — which followed a former model (Shepherd) and a detective (Bruce) who manage a private detective agency — was undeniable, a feud was seemingly brewing behind the scenes.—
Abby Stern,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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Her super-powered private detective first appeared on Netflix's Jessica Jones — the streamer's second Marvel series after the original Daredevil — in 2015.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ryan Couch, a former volunteer private investigator who had been working with the Engelbert family on the missing persons case, told Cowboy State Daily that the remains were located three to five miles from where Engelbert was last seen walking alone, as captured in the surveillance footage.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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According to court records, Recio agreed to bribe Costanzo, who was the DEA supervisor in Miami, in exchange for his providing the private investigator with confidential information about narcotics investigations.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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