as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the firm hired a hawkshaw to find out who was fencing stock from their warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hawkshaw
Noun
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Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.
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On June 12, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Pollock on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, police said.
Noun
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The bicyclist died at the location, and the driver remained and is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.
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Using data collected from an educator certificate exam in 2018 that Knowles took under her own name and comparisons of check-in photos, investigators found Knowles took or tried to take the exams for multiple women and one man, according to the affidavit.
Noun
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In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
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Set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future inhabited by aliens and humans as seen from a 1939 perspective, the film revolves around private eye Raymond Gunn (Rockwell) who is drawn into a case involving murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
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Cite this Entry
“Hawkshaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hawkshaw. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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