Synonyms of investigator

investigator

noun

in-ˈve-stə-ˌgā-tər 

1

as in researcher

one who observes or studies by close examination and systematic inquiry

investigators who discovered new evidence that the universe was much older than had been previously estimated

Synonyms & Similar Words

• researcher
• experimenter
• observer
• examiner
• monitor
• inspector
• fact finder
• empiricist
• empiric
• field-worker

2

as in detective

a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons

the investigator in charge of the case was touted as an expert at tracing stolen art

Synonyms & Similar Words

• detective
• operative
• sleuth
• private investigator
• dick
• gumshoe
• private detective
• private eye
• sleuthhound
• shamus
• sherlock
• tracker
• tracer
• hawkshaw
• Federal
• tail
• plainclothesman
• narc
• fed
• shadow
• G-man

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of investigator

As the search continued, investigators recovered additional human remains from Lake Mattoon before identifying the victim as Turner through what officials described as a thorough investigation. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

Carla Walker cold case The 1974 murder of 17-year-old Carla Walker in Fort Worth, Texas, went unsolved for more than four decades before advanced DNA testing helped investigators identify her killer. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026

To characterize the new mode, Kyle Uckert, SHERLOC’s deputy principal investigator at NASA’s JPL, and his colleagues collected spectra from spare flight optics in their own lab. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 4 July 2026

In April, authorities say investigators with the California’s Contractors State License Board’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team discovered online advertisements offering construction services that did not list a contractor license number. — Jasmine Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Phrases Containing investigator

• private investigator