as in detectives
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of private detectives
The recipients spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private detectives and expert analysis.
—
Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted.
—Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Co-written and executive produced by Goor and Del Tredici, the half-hour is a workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2026
Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted.
—Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Co-written and executive produced by Goor and Del Tredici, the half-hour is a workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detectives
Noun
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Within two years, Torres’ political career was crashing down amid a scandal that surfaced publicly in October 2024 when he was detained and questioned by San Jose detectives.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Legal experts say these coercive techniques were common among detectives in the 1980s and 1990s, but often produced false confessions.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, investigators hope DNA from a glove recovered about two miles from Nancy’s residence will lead them closer to a suspect.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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The warrant was based on a lead that investigators received, the department said, but no arrests were made.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Once upon a time, there was a TV show about three little girls who went to the police academy and then became private investigators.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Her family in 2018 also engaged in a legal battle with OPD in order to access records that their private investigators could use in a search.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private detectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detectives. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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