Thesaurus results for SLEUTH

sleuth

noun

ˈslüth

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sleuth Williams herself had to become a sleuth to write the book. —

Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 How online sleuths impact reality TV The open secret of reality TV is that the producers control the narrative. —

Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 1 June 2026 Last year, there were a few, most notably when online sleuths uncovered past racist clips and posts from two of the Islanders (they were both ultimately kicked off the show mid-season following fan backlash). —

Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026 Unsurprisingly, online sleuths had some thoughts. —

José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleuth

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleuth

Noun

Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
On June 12, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Pollock on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, police said.

— Sofia Saric June 23, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

Definition of detective

Noun

Police say Crash Team investigators responded and assumed control over the investigation.

— CBS Baltimore Staff, CBS News, 21 June 2026
And schools that delay submitting transfer paperwork until the last minute thinking investigators will be too busy to spot an error don’t understand the process.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026