as in investigators
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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Recent Examples of detectives
Berkeley police said Hadari Darden is classified as a missing adult, and that detectives are in contact with neighboring agencies.
—
Jose Fabian, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Tipsters may also call homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043.
—Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
In 2022, six weeks after a new police commissioner formed the Gilgo Beach task force, detectives identified Heuermann as a suspect by using a vehicle registration database to connect him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Denver homicide detectives, the Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting and present the results to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Thomas said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Following his arrest in 2023, detectives spent nearly two weeks scouring the backyard of Heuermann’s family home.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Homicide detectives are investigating the incident as a drive-by shooting, police said.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026
Wentworth Area detectives were investigating.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Rivera said that detectives told her Xion was found on top of two of his little siblings after the shooting.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2025
Jose Fabian, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Tipsters may also call homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043.
—Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
In 2022, six weeks after a new police commissioner formed the Gilgo Beach task force, detectives identified Heuermann as a suspect by using a vehicle registration database to connect him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Denver homicide detectives, the Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting and present the results to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Thomas said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Following his arrest in 2023, detectives spent nearly two weeks scouring the backyard of Heuermann’s family home.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Homicide detectives are investigating the incident as a drive-by shooting, police said.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026
Wentworth Area detectives were investigating.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Rivera said that detectives told her Xion was found on top of two of his little siblings after the shooting.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detectives
Noun
-
The suspect accused of leading troopers on a police chase through Buckhead before crashing at one of the area's busiest intersections has now been identified, according to an update from investigators.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, Operation Sideswipe kept expanding and racking up prosecutorial victories, building off the work of private-sector investigators and lawyers for the trucking companies.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Israel claims to have killed hundreds of Hezbollah operatives in the latest bombardment and ground invasion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2026
-
One of the officials said the March 3 drone strike that hit the tanker was launched by Ukrainian operatives in a military facility in Tripoli.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detectives. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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