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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According to federal investigators, Neves Velente was responsible for both the Brown University mass shooting that killed two students and injured nine and the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno Loureiro, each of which occurred in December.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
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During the search, officials say that investigators found a series of short videos made by Neves Valente after the shootings.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Brian Albert, former Boston cop and now Brockton private eye extraordinaire, will hold a press conference to announce the hiring of his two newest very ethical crack sleuths – Michael Proctor and Kelly Dever.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
31 Dec. 2025
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The novel sometimes reads like a prequel to Gravity’s Rainbow; the private eye, Hicks McTaggart, moving through a universe already vibrating with the same febrile harmonics that will later detonate in the Second World War.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 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 7 Jan. 2026.
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