as in detectives
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hawkshaws
Noun
-
Stacey Wondra told the detectives that after placing Michael in the duffel bag, the group drove him to a house in Kuna and put him in a spare room, the affidavit said.—
Alex Brizee
March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026 -
The lawsuit further alleges detectives withheld hundreds of pages of investigative reports, witness statements and materials from a parallel investigation into Dvorsky’s death that could have allowed Puckett’s attorneys to argue someone else committed the crime.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to investigators, Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, began driving away in a pickup truck on North Gate Drive when Hughes tripped and fell into the road, where he was struck by the vehicle.—
CBS News Atlanta Staff,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Tisch added that investigators are continuing to analyze a second device.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Hawkshaws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hawkshaws. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
