as in detectives
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
unable to get the interest of the police, they hired a private eye to find their missing daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private eyes
The untitled half-hour project is a workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives, which continues the proud tradition of Los Angeles private eyes that began with Philip Marlowe and will end with this show.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eyes
Noun
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Wentworth Area detectives were investigating.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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The pair of Brooklyn North narcotics detectives involved in the clash thought the man matched the description of someone who had just made a drug sale, a police source said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Surveillance cameras and license plate readers are commonly used by investigators and have rarely been challenged.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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The suspect accused of leading troopers on a police chase through Buckhead before crashing at one of the area's busiest intersections has now been identified, according to an update from investigators.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Charlie's Angels centered on three private investigators who, under orders from their enigmatic but never visible boss, Charlie Townsend, solved cases together using their wits and style.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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This is all part of Harry’s civil lawsuit against ANL for unlawful information gathering, including phone tapping and the use of private investigators.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private eyes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eyes. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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