as in detective
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private eye
On one level, Resuscitation of a Hanged Man is a private eye novel.
—
Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The dark comedy reaches its Season 1 conclusion Friday on NBC and it’s poised to bring a new set of twists and cliffhangers as the group tries to evade law enforcement and a private eye plotting blackmail.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
The track ended the contract after only a few months of effort by the private eyes.
—Katie Bo Lillis, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Levitt stars in Killer Heat as Nick Bali, a private eye who travels to the Greek island of Crete to investigate the death of shipping magnate Leo Vardakis (Richard Madden), who plunged to his death during a free solo rock climb.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Dwyer Murphy
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
The dark comedy reaches its Season 1 conclusion Friday on NBC and it’s poised to bring a new set of twists and cliffhangers as the group tries to evade law enforcement and a private eye plotting blackmail.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
The track ended the contract after only a few months of effort by the private eyes.
—Katie Bo Lillis, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Levitt stars in Killer Heat as Nick Bali, a private eye who travels to the Greek island of Crete to investigate the death of shipping magnate Leo Vardakis (Richard Madden), who plunged to his death during a free solo rock climb.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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Wilson County Sheriff’s Office detectives also found seven shell casings.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
14 Oct. 2025
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And while the chemistry in the show — which followed a former model (Shepherd) and a detective (Bruce) who manage a private detective agency — was undeniable, a feud was seemingly brewing behind the scenes.—
Abby Stern,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Anyone with information about the crash who has not yet spoken to investigators is asked to contact the Colorado State Patrol dispatch at 970-249-4392 and reference case VC250372.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
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Monday’s sentencing marks the end of a years-long legal battle between Laffitte and his victims, after Laffitte was reportedly the first to face federal charges as investigators looked to take down the Murdaugh empire.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Her super-powered private detective first appeared on Netflix's Jessica Jones — the streamer's second Marvel series after the original Daredevil — in 2015.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
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The movie follows the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ryan Couch, a former volunteer private investigator who had been working with the Engelbert family on the missing persons case, told Cowboy State Daily that the remains were located three to five miles from where Engelbert was last seen walking alone, as captured in the surveillance footage.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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According to court records, Recio agreed to bribe Costanzo, who was the DEA supervisor in Miami, in exchange for his providing the private investigator with confidential information about narcotics investigations.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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