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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private eye
Some, like Lee, aren’t fit to live anywhere else; others, like closeted introvert Dale or Marty (the great Keith David), a Black private eye in the Washbergs’ employ, are just working with the hand they’ve been dealt.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Short version: In this movie co-written and directed by Ethan Coen, Margaret Qualley plays a swaggering, small-town private eye whose investigations into a series of strange deaths lead her to a mysterious church run by a charismatic (and corrupt) preacher played by Chris Evans.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
On one level, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man is a private eye novel.
—Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The track ended the contract after only a few months of effort by the private eyes.
—Katie Bo Lillis, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Short version: In this movie co-written and directed by Ethan Coen, Margaret Qualley plays a swaggering, small-town private eye whose investigations into a series of strange deaths lead her to a mysterious church run by a charismatic (and corrupt) preacher played by Chris Evans.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
On one level, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man is a private eye novel.
—Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The track ended the contract after only a few months of effort by the private eyes.
—Katie Bo Lillis, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
-
Maybe archaeologists and detectives are not so different.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office at 508-832-9124 or Gardner police at 978-632-5600.—
Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Less than 24 hours later, investigators say Lauren Spors beat her mother to death with a rock.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in an October 26 statement that investigators made the arrests the previous evening.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And while the chemistry in the show — which followed a former model (Shepherd) and a detective (Bruce) who manage a private detective agency — was undeniable, a feud was seemingly brewing behind the scenes.—
Abby Stern,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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Her super-powered private detective first appeared on Netflix's Jessica Jones — the streamer's second Marvel series after the original Daredevil — in 2015.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the premiere of Down Cemetery Road, a desperate woman walks into a private investigator’s office.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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Adding to the chaos are constant calls from his manager and the presence of a private investigator and a superfan stalking nearby.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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