as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
when the police insisted that it was an accident and not murder, she hired a private detective
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private detective
McKinnon will play Joe Dahl, a private detective investigating a decade-old murder.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 June 2025
Directed by Jonathan Li and Choy Man-yu, the film stars Louis Koo as a private detective investigating a complex case involving adultery and murder.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2025
Its harm is felt when a reporter accosts a convalescing patient in the hospital, when a private detective peers through a neighbor's bedroom window for weeks, and when a photographer snaps an opportunistic photo of a woman's underwear.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
So far, Florence has not come forward with any further information other than a 2008 statement sent by his attorney, Neil Rosenberg, to private detective Don Corbett.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 June 2025
Directed by Jonathan Li and Choy Man-yu, the film stars Louis Koo as a private detective investigating a complex case involving adultery and murder.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2025
Its harm is felt when a reporter accosts a convalescing patient in the hospital, when a private detective peers through a neighbor's bedroom window for weeks, and when a photographer snaps an opportunistic photo of a woman's underwear.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
So far, Florence has not come forward with any further information other than a 2008 statement sent by his attorney, Neil Rosenberg, to private detective Don Corbett.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detective
Noun
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The victim’s relatives showed detectives a photo of Ackerman and the victim in the same area the victim’s body had been located, according to an affidavit.—
Caroline Zimmerman
July 7,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
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Meanwhile, back at the Marine Mammal Care Center, the scientific detective work is about to begin.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
8 July 2025
Noun
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But in Hartig’s formal response posted to the body’s website on Wednesday, July 9, Hartig revealed her own bevy of concerns with judicial investigators and county prosecutors alike.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
11 July 2025
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Maya Lau, an investigative journalist and financial investigator, hosts the podcast.—
Anne Easton,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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On one level, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man is a private eye novel.—
Dwyer Murphy
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
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The idea of a lesbian private eye isn’t even that new either, since Jess Franco had two in a pair of his most enjoyable exploitation movies (Sadisterotika and Kiss Me, Monster, both 1969).—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
24 May 2025
Noun
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As police worked to figure that out, Allison’s family hired a private investigator named Marc Benson, who received an email from a woman named Susan Iannone.—
Veronica Fulton,
NBC news,
6 July 2025
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Fort Worth Police Department officers went about 4 p.m. Wednesday to the 3300 block of East Belknap Street to help a private investigator who was attempting to arrest Pardue.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detective. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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