as in investigator
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the code used by the serial killer in his letters to the police was actually cracked by an amateur detective
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detective
In recent days, detectives released surveillance photos and video from multiple shootings, including one near Main Street as crowds gathered June 21 and another later that night at a gas station, asking the public to help identify suspects.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Her identity has not been released, and homicide detectives said the case will be presented to the Broward County State Attorney's Office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
LaDarian Brown, a spokesperson for the Longview Police Department, said at a June 24 news conference that the assault is under investigation, and detectives have been in touch with the FBI.
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Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 July 2026
Upon completion of the investigation, homicide detectives will pass the case to the State’s Attorney’s office for review, according to the release.
—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for detective
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Her identity has not been released, and homicide detectives said the case will be presented to the Broward County State Attorney's Office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
LaDarian Brown, a spokesperson for the Longview Police Department, said at a June 24 news conference that the assault is under investigation, and detectives have been in touch with the FBI.
—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 July 2026
Upon completion of the investigation, homicide detectives will pass the case to the State’s Attorney’s office for review, according to the release.
—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detective
Noun
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Hinds County’s chief death investigator, Jeramiah Howard, attributed her death to the heat.
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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.
Noun
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In the prosecutor’s statement, the suspect is alleged to have photographed sensitive sites in Israel and then sold the images to an Iranian operative for up to hundreds of dollars.
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Political operatives tied to Florida Power & Light’s parent company were involved in the scandal, and a former Republican state senator was convicted of violating campaign finance laws.
Cite this Entry
“Detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detective. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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