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
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of operatives
Privately, political operatives from both sides concede that government shutdowns are bad for both parties.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Once the candidate is defined with a platform backfilled with extensive details, then allow the political operatives to take that platform out into social media with an out-of-the-box approach like some of the earlier suggestions.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
With the Lowell Mill textile operatives and their 1834 and 1836 strikes for fair treatment and decent wages.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 26 Sep. 2025
The Fox competition show sees celebrities from all walks of life face grueling training exercises led by directing staff (DS) agents, an elite team of ex–Special Forces operatives.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Republican operatives at the time warned that outsourcing the ground game to outside groups could pose risks for future cycles, but Kirk and his team described the results as vindication.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
The movie is based on the true story of British Intelligence operatives using unprecedented strategic operations to fool Nazi leadership and help change the course of World War II.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
The crowd includes longtime Kirk supporters, families young and old, and Republican operatives from across the country.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Jayson is not entirely thrilled that two of his operatives are dead and their child, Sam, is missing.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Once the candidate is defined with a platform backfilled with extensive details, then allow the political operatives to take that platform out into social media with an out-of-the-box approach like some of the earlier suggestions.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
With the Lowell Mill textile operatives and their 1834 and 1836 strikes for fair treatment and decent wages.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 26 Sep. 2025
The Fox competition show sees celebrities from all walks of life face grueling training exercises led by directing staff (DS) agents, an elite team of ex–Special Forces operatives.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Republican operatives at the time warned that outsourcing the ground game to outside groups could pose risks for future cycles, but Kirk and his team described the results as vindication.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
The movie is based on the true story of British Intelligence operatives using unprecedented strategic operations to fool Nazi leadership and help change the course of World War II.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
The crowd includes longtime Kirk supporters, families young and old, and Republican operatives from across the country.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Jayson is not entirely thrilled that two of his operatives are dead and their child, Sam, is missing.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operatives
Noun
-
This approach sparks a heated debate about proper justice, leading to the revelation of other secret desires between the two spies.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Gary Oldman stars as the curmudgeonly Jackson Lamb, who leads MI5, a unit full of low-level spies that includes Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
During his confession, Jones said the Nestors hired him to clean around their business — and told detectives what led up to the killings.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Yan Wang allegedly arrived at the home as police were doing their initial investigation and spoke with detectives, claiming to be a friend and colleague of Howard Wang’s, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Apple and Google on Thursday removed apps that alert people when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are nearby following pressure from Attorney General Pam Bondi.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
3 Oct. 2025
-
There will also be panels with Gersh agents talking about the art of representation and a panel with longtime James Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Monson eventually turned himself in on the advice of his father after investigators showed up at his sister’s house, officials said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ed later told investigators that his father had abused both him and his older sibling.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Operatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operatives. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share