as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the popular TV sleuth lives a much more action-packed life than do his real-world counterparts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleuth
The Thursday Murder Club is about amateur sleuths.
—
H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell famously manufactured a phony real-life romance — all while Sweeney was still engaged — that got internet sleuths buzzing and bolstered audience interest to see what chemistry might be on screen.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2025
Social media sleuths have gathered clues that allegedly tie D4vd, legal name David Anthony Burke, to the victim.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But when internet sleuths teased out that Fulmer was having an affair with a Try Guys employee, the drama exploded from a private matter into a public spectacle, ending with Fulmer leaving the group after a public apology.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell famously manufactured a phony real-life romance — all while Sweeney was still engaged — that got internet sleuths buzzing and bolstered audience interest to see what chemistry might be on screen.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2025
Social media sleuths have gathered clues that allegedly tie D4vd, legal name David Anthony Burke, to the victim.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But when internet sleuths teased out that Fulmer was having an affair with a Try Guys employee, the drama exploded from a private matter into a public spectacle, ending with Fulmer leaving the group after a public apology.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleuth
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
Cite this Entry
“Sleuth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleuth. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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