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 follows the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
In the second movie in Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke’s lesbian B-movie trilogy (the first was the fizzy Drive Away Dolls), Margaret Qualley plays Honey, a stylish private detective trying to solve a case that involves a cult.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Farrell stars as private detective John Sugar in Sugar, who is investigating the disappearance of Olivia Siegel — the granddaughter of wealthy Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell).
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
But after her best friend’s death, getting dumped, and her father’s fall from grace as the local sheriff, Veronica is a high school outsider by day and a private detective by night.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
In the second movie in Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke’s lesbian B-movie trilogy (the first was the fizzy Drive Away Dolls), Margaret Qualley plays Honey, a stylish private detective trying to solve a case that involves a cult.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Farrell stars as private detective John Sugar in Sugar, who is investigating the disappearance of Olivia Siegel — the granddaughter of wealthy Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell).
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
But after her best friend’s death, getting dumped, and her father’s fall from grace as the local sheriff, Veronica is a high school outsider by day and a private detective by night.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detective
Noun
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Homicide detectives deemed the death suspicious and began investigating.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
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The show is also adding Ashley Walters, who earned an Emmy nomination for his incredible turn playing the lead detective in Netflix’s Adolescence.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Instead, the Kennedy focuses on the stark reality of a man fighting to protect himself and his family from Santa Fe prosecutors and investigators, who in the doc, seem driven less by the facts than by their interest in putting Baldwin on trial for his polarizing public persona.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
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This allowed investigators to collect DNA, which led them to the teen, Scott said.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Sally pauses her work as Marty holds court, sharing war stories from his decades as a private eye.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Thomas Pynchon's first novel in 12 years, Shadow Ticket, is a mystery that dives into the disappearance of a cheese heiress and draws private eye Hicks McTaggart down a rabbit hole.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the premiere of Down Cemetery Road, a desperate woman walks into a private investigator’s office.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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Thompson plays Zoë Boehm, a private investigator every bit as spiky as her pixie cut.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detective. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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