Definition of hawkshawnext
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hawkshaw
Noun
  • The detective returns to the stand Monday for the fifth and likely final day of the preliminary hearing.
    Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • Camani Bartletto, 18, was hit with the charge for allegedly firing at an Uber shortly before the detective was shot — and was also charged with gun possession, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • Two decomposed bodies have been found within five days at a park in western North Carolina, and both cases are classified as murders, according to investigators.
    Mark Price July 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026
  • What exactly triggers these blooms is still an active area of research and debate, according to Brad Taylor, associate professor at North Carolina State University and investigator at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.
    Hannah Smith July 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • With the Christmas action hit under his belt and the private eye dramedy’s cancellation in 1989, the actor moved into film work full-time.
    Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
  • 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.
    Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Hawkshaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hawkshaw. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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