as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the retired policeman decided to become a private investigator
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private investigator
During the Season 3 finale, DA Haller questioned private investigator Neil Bishop, who admitted he was blackmailed into working for Drug Enforcement Administration agent James De Marco.
—
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Police in Oklahoma found the young girl a week and a half later, Brooke Morris said, after a private investigator discovered that her image had been posted in online advertisements.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026
After his retirement from the DEA, Recio worked as a private investigator for Macey and other South Florida defense attorneys.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Police in Oklahoma found the young girl a week and a half later, Brooke Morris said, after a private investigator discovered that her image had been posted in online advertisements.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026
After his retirement from the DEA, Recio worked as a private investigator for Macey and other South Florida defense attorneys.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private investigator
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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De Niro plays a reverend in Los Angeles; Duvall is his homicide-detective brother.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Game and Fish investigators requested camera video from homeowners in the areas where poaching activity was known to have occurred.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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According to the subsequent findings of state investigators, Cooke took the child to the basement of her home and placed her in a Pack ‘n Play portable crib for a nap.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The recipients spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private detectives and expert analysis.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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In an alternate version of 1940s Hollywood where cartoon characters live alongside humans, private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) tries to get to the bottom of who framed toon star Roger Rabbit for murder.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Princess Lilibet and her brother, Prince Archie, 6, are often kept out of the private eye by their parents, but the siblings have recently been featured in a number of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's photos — and some of their philanthropic work.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
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On Friday, the network added a comedy, a private eye show from Brooklyn Nine-Nine alumni Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20investigator. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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