as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
when the police insisted that it was an accident and not murder, she hired a private detective
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private detective
The movie was made even stranger by then-Hollywood heavyweights like Jackie Chan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robert Evans playing heightened versions of themselves — not to mention an unsettling performance by Harvey Weinstein as a private detective that has, to put it mildly, not aged well.
—
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
The trio took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a PaleyFest event commemorating five decades of Charlie's Angels, the groundbreaking ABC series that followed a group of female private detectives.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Jackson was involved with the show — which followed three beautiful private detectives — from the very beginning, helping Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg put together the idea after her time on The Rookies.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Stanley also has a series on private detective Miranda Corbie set in pre-World War II San Francisco.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
The trio took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a PaleyFest event commemorating five decades of Charlie's Angels, the groundbreaking ABC series that followed a group of female private detectives.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Jackson was involved with the show — which followed three beautiful private detectives — from the very beginning, helping Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg put together the idea after her time on The Rookies.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Stanley also has a series on private detective Miranda Corbie set in pre-World War II San Francisco.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detective
Noun
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Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
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On June 12, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Pollock on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, police said.—
Sofia Saric
June 23,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
Noun
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Police say Crash Team investigators responded and assumed control over the investigation.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
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And schools that delay submitting transfer paperwork until the last minute thinking investigators will be too busy to spot an error don’t understand the process.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Noun
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Somewhere in the middle of this Los Angeles neo-noir, Colin Farrell’s quiet, well-dressed, cinema-loving private eye was revealed to be a blue-skinned alien — then the show just kept going, missing-persons mystery intact.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
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Oddball comedies, private eye film noir superheroes, tense kidnapping thrillers and much, much more all make their way onto this weekend’s friendly neighborhood weekend streaming guide.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Farrell also dished on his most recent role in season 2 of Sugar, in which the actor reprises the character of private investigator John Sugar.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
21 June 2026
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Ever since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement, fans have turned into part-time wedding planners, part-time private investigators and full-time internet detectives.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detective. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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