private detectives

noun

plural of private detective
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of private detectives Meanwhile, private detectives probed Hadley’s vulnerabilities as a witness. — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 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 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 Richard Bronswijk, who heads the Dutch police art crime unit, says he's seen private detectives create problems when money is the driver. — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026 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 And after testimony in Miami one day, former Police Chief and Carollo foe Art Acevedo, was followed from the courthouse to a restaurant in Coral Gables by a couple of private detectives. — Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026 The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted. — Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detectives
  1. detectives
  2. investigators
  3. private investigators
  4. private eyes
Noun
  • The incident is under investigation by detectives pending autopsy results, and no additional details were available Sunday morning, a police representative wrote in an email to the Tribune.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Several hours later, detectives were notified by medical staff that the man died from his injuries.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of detectives
Noun
  • Outside investigators may examine Huang’s official correspondence, travel schedules, and personal device usage alongside company access logs.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2026
  • That number could rise to nine if investigators establish that the attacker was also responsible for the deaths of his parents and sister.
    — Dragana Jovanovic, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of investigators
Noun
  • The private investigators recovered one truck with help from the Mexican army.
    — Steve Fisher Special Correspondent Follow, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • During the test, two private investigators were hired to conduct surveillance on Hogan.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of private investigators
Noun
  • 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
Definition of private eyes

Browse Nearby Words

private detective
private detectives
privateer
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Cite this Entry

“Private detectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detectives. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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