as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
unable to get the interest of the police, they hired a private eye to find their missing daughter
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Recent Examples of private eye
The report also indicates the two have taken care to keep their romance out of the private eye for what seems to be a substantial amount of time.
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Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2024
Worse yet, a seedy private eye (Kevin Bacon) starts invading Maxine’s personal space and threatens to expose her murderous past.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Where to watch: Disney+ ‘Killer Heat’ Noir isn't just for back alleys and big cities: There's a scenic mystery afoot in this modern detective story, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an ex-cop working as a private eye in Greece.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024
Wang, with her office full of helpers, her dialog that swings between that of a private eye and a guidance counsellor, and her ingenuity, is an undoubtedly fascinating central character.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for private eye 
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2024
Worse yet, a seedy private eye (Kevin Bacon) starts invading Maxine’s personal space and threatens to expose her murderous past.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Where to watch: Disney+ ‘Killer Heat’ Noir isn't just for back alleys and big cities: There's a scenic mystery afoot in this modern detective story, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an ex-cop working as a private eye in Greece.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024
Wang, with her office full of helpers, her dialog that swings between that of a private eye and a guidance counsellor, and her ingenuity, is an undoubtedly fascinating central character.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Kenny added that investigators found evidence that Mangione knew of UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference in New York City.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
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Federal investigators began looking into Jafari-Hassad’s operation in 2019.Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Colorado private detective Ollie Gray and his partner, John Sangustin, were hired by the Ramseys in 1999.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
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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
Noun
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After the hearing, one of the Jane Does whom Masterson was convicted of raping said the same private investigator has reached out to people connected to her personal life.Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
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The GoFundMe will also help pay to hire a private investigator to look into the boy's death.Sean Neumann, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near private eye
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
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