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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of private detective
Created by Michael Schur, the series follows Charles, a widower and retiree, who is hired by a private detective named Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) and goes undercover at a local San Francisco nursing home to solve a theft.
—
Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
The film’s most enduring legacy, however, is the Dude, a mythic American hero no less than the private detective or the cowboy.
—airmail.news, 12 Oct. 2024
Colorado private detective Ollie Gray and his partner, John Sangustin, were hired by the Ramseys in 1999.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
Per the report, citing one of three sources familiar with the matter, U.S. authorities believe the DCI Group, a public affairs and lobbying company working for Exxon back in 2015, had compiled a list of targets and provided them to an Israeli private detective, who then outsourced the hacking.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
The film’s most enduring legacy, however, is the Dude, a mythic American hero no less than the private detective or the cowboy.
—airmail.news, 12 Oct. 2024
Colorado private detective Ollie Gray and his partner, John Sangustin, were hired by the Ramseys in 1999.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
Per the report, citing one of three sources familiar with the matter, U.S. authorities believe the DCI Group, a public affairs and lobbying company working for Exxon back in 2015, had compiled a list of targets and provided them to an Israeli private detective, who then outsourced the hacking.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detective
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
Noun
-
The lawyers said a private investigator identified witnesses who could testify that Davis was not at the scene of the shooting.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Playground Productions acquired the franchise rights in 2024, even hiring a private investigator to track down the rights.—
Jake Lang,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detective. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share