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
The two widows team up to become CIA operatives themselves and go undercover as secretaries in 1977's Cold War era — only to discover a conspiracy at play (and accidentally set a few bars and coats on fire).
—
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
In 1977, Bea (Emilia Clarke) and Twila (Haley Lu Richardson) live in Moscow, working at the US Embassy while their husbands work as CIA operatives.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
When their men are killed in a suspicious plane crash, the wives decide to become CIA operatives themselves in hopes of uncovering the truth.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Some had worked as political operatives during Republican presidencies or, later, in the bitter Florida recount.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
His espionage thriller Lioness, which stars Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña as CIA operatives, is in production on its third season.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
Khanna’s public statements haven’t stopped pro-China operatives from targeting him in their influence operations, however.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Everyone was deemed an armed terrorist, on par with the depictions of Al Qaeda operatives in Afghan caves, and thus the face of a minister for youth and sports could be plastered with a red X on Israel’s official government channels, the same as Osama bin Laden’s.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Even though Rivera was the incumbent, the Bronx Democratic Party endorsed Camilo in that contest, a snub that resulted in bad blood between party operatives and progressive Rivera supporters.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
In 1977, Bea (Emilia Clarke) and Twila (Haley Lu Richardson) live in Moscow, working at the US Embassy while their husbands work as CIA operatives.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
When their men are killed in a suspicious plane crash, the wives decide to become CIA operatives themselves in hopes of uncovering the truth.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Some had worked as political operatives during Republican presidencies or, later, in the bitter Florida recount.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
His espionage thriller Lioness, which stars Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña as CIA operatives, is in production on its third season.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
Khanna’s public statements haven’t stopped pro-China operatives from targeting him in their influence operations, however.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Everyone was deemed an armed terrorist, on par with the depictions of Al Qaeda operatives in Afghan caves, and thus the face of a minister for youth and sports could be plastered with a red X on Israel’s official government channels, the same as Osama bin Laden’s.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Even though Rivera was the incumbent, the Bronx Democratic Party endorsed Camilo in that contest, a snub that resulted in bad blood between party operatives and progressive Rivera supporters.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operatives
Noun
-
One worker joined the FBI and made a career in counterintelligence, sniffing out Chinese spies.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Desperate to learn what happened, the pair volunteers to become spies in Moscow themselves.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Homicide detectives arrived at the scene to investigate.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
-
New York City detectives say they were treated rudely and disrespectfully last week after they were mistaken for federal immigration agents while seeking treatment at a hospital after an arrest.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Widely circulated footage of the incident appears to show agents remove a gun from a scrum with Pretti before shots are fired.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
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Bovino claimed Jose Huerta-Chuma, who Border Patrol agents were targeting Saturday morning, had a criminal history that included domestic assault to intentionally inflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.—
The Hill Staff,
The Hill,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The investigators and May expressed concern that DeCristo had not addressed her actions.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Parents of students with disabilities have increasingly resorted to filing complaints with the state over their schools’ failure to educate their children, and most of the time, state investigators have agreed.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operatives. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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