as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the retired policeman decided to become a private investigator
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private investigator
Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves.
—
Nick Ferraro, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Harjo, with his eye for human eccentricities, lends a pulse to stock types—chief among them a poetry-loving private investigator named Marty (Keith David).
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Maislin hired a private investigator to find out who had hit the young firefighter.
—Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Nick Ferraro, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Harjo, with his eye for human eccentricities, lends a pulse to stock types—chief among them a poetry-loving private investigator named Marty (Keith David).
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Maislin hired a private investigator to find out who had hit the young firefighter.
—Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private investigator
Noun
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The original Heat starred Pacino as Vincent Hanna, the LAPD detective investigating bank robber Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro).—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
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The next detective retired a few years later while under investigation for discrimination, harrassment and falsifying information during a homicide investigation.—
Keith Sharon,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His claims were verified when investigators checked out the grave sites.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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The driver of the Nissan stayed at the scene of the crash and cooperated with investigators, police said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The movie follows the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
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The hotel is chasing him for his bill, and a private detective (Tilda Swinton) is chasing him for stealing money from a wealthy old woman.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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He’s backed up by a superb supporting cast as well, including the honey-voiced Keith David as private eye Marty, the Buffy reboot’s new slayer Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Lee’s daughter Francis and the always-great Kyle MacLachlan as slick gubernatorial candidate Donald Washberg.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
23 Sep. 2025
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The film written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke stars Margaret Qualley as a small-town private eye working a case of strange deaths at a mysterious church.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20investigator. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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