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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Recent Examples of private detective
Cher was once tailed by private detectives hired by Sonny Bono.
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Marina Watts, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024
The premise is an 83-year-old widower answers an ad in the paper and becomes an undercover private detective.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024
Also invading Maxine’s personal space is a seedy private detective (Kevin Bacon), who threatens to expose Maxine’s past as a murderer.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024
For several years now, Noland has scraped out a living as a private detective.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for private detective 
Marina Watts, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024
The premise is an 83-year-old widower answers an ad in the paper and becomes an undercover private detective.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024
Also invading Maxine’s personal space is a seedy private detective (Kevin Bacon), who threatens to expose Maxine’s past as a murderer.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024
For several years now, Noland has scraped out a living as a private detective.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for private detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detective
Noun
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Questioning John is Lou Smit, a homicide detective then working for the Boulder D.A.'s office.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
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David Hasselhoff and company tried to make this after-dark Baywatch spinoff work, but turning frequently shirtless lifeguard Mitch into a second-shift detective wasn’t a natural progression for the character.Sara Netzley, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Brazilian authorities faced difficulties identifying victims due to a post-crash fire, with investigators from Brazil's Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) citing weather conditions and pilot error as contributing factors.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
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The recorded voice spoke in Spanish, but investigators translated it to English.KFOX Staff, Baltimore Sun, 25 Dec. 2024
Noun
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When a judge tentatively allowed the music to bang on this fall, sonic private eyes and city officials patrolled the neighborhood with microphones and decibel meters, gathering ammunition for the battle.Katie Thornton, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2024
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In Hot Spot, set in a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord.Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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She's hired various private investigators to find out her true identity, but only the low-rent Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) is still on the case.Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
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Atchison's defense attorney Ben Powers had asked Chappell to disqualify the DA's office from prosecuting the case because Powers and a private investigator were pictured in the audit.Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 22 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near private detective
Cite this Entry
“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detective. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
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