as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the firm hired a hawkshaw to find out who was fencing stock from their warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hawkshaw
Noun
-
This is a complex incident, and detectives continue to work through all aspects of the investigation.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025 -
Heidenreich has denied involvement in his girlfriend's death, per the AAP, despite admitting that his stepfather — a former Cairns police officer — was friendly with a detective working on the murder case.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
According to authorities, investigators have not found any evidence indicating the victim was responsible for the ATV thefts.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Two people who had been shot were found dead inside a Thornton home on Wednesday that investigators believe was intentionally set on fire, police said.—
Katie Langford,
The Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
These private eyes spy on children in order to determine who is or isn’t living within the district’s strict attendance boundaries.—
Tim Deroche,
Orange County Register,
28 Jan. 2025
-
In that time, Will has started over as a private eye in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
7 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Hawkshaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hawkshaw. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share