1
as in spies
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
CIA operatives take terrible risks to find out the secrets of foreign countries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in detectives
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
set in the 1930s, the novel is about a washed-out operative working for a third-rate detective agency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of operatives
In the last year, Mexican troops have been deployed across the country to quell narco-violence, arresting legions of cartel operatives, seizing tons of illicit drugs and busting hundreds of clandestine laboratories.
—
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
The attacks included suicide missions — a method that Hamas operatives had learned from Hezbollah trainers in Lebanon.
—Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
That group, so named for the four brothers who controlled it, was severely weakened about two decades ago through fighting with Sinaloa operatives and a systematic dismantling by federal investigators and prosecutors in San Diego.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Bellingcat investigative journalist Christo Grosev – who would later finger the Kremlin operatives behind the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny – played a central role identifying who was behind the sneak attack on Skripal and his daughter.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
As decolonization transformed fading colonial empires into a hundred new nations, rival superpowers dispatched covert operatives, latter-day men on the spot, to win over those emerging states by any means necessary.
—Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
One of those operatives was none other than Mencho’s brother.
—Daniel Depetris, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Sleeper cells Even as hundreds — possibly thousands — of Cuban operatives leave, intelligence sources caution that the network is unlikely to disappear entirely.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
The attacks included suicide missions — a method that Hamas operatives had learned from Hezbollah trainers in Lebanon.
—Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
That group, so named for the four brothers who controlled it, was severely weakened about two decades ago through fighting with Sinaloa operatives and a systematic dismantling by federal investigators and prosecutors in San Diego.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Bellingcat investigative journalist Christo Grosev – who would later finger the Kremlin operatives behind the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny – played a central role identifying who was behind the sneak attack on Skripal and his daughter.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
As decolonization transformed fading colonial empires into a hundred new nations, rival superpowers dispatched covert operatives, latter-day men on the spot, to win over those emerging states by any means necessary.
—Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
One of those operatives was none other than Mencho’s brother.
—Daniel Depetris, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Sleeper cells Even as hundreds — possibly thousands — of Cuban operatives leave, intelligence sources caution that the network is unlikely to disappear entirely.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operatives
Noun
-
The indelible action-adventure of a pair of kids (Daryl Sabara and Alexa PenaVega) who find out their parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are spies and must go rescue them is so goofy and entertaining.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
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Dreeke helped catch foreign spies operating on American soil.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Escobar also met with a detainee from Ecuador who said his arm had been broken during a violent arrest by immigration agents in Minnesota.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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The white phosphorus then ignites and burns intensely, destroying the agents by incinerating them – a method meant to reduce the risk of spreading the materials and to limit potential harm to civilians and the surrounding environment.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 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
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Tisch added that investigators are continuing to analyze a second device.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operatives. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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