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
Set in 1979, the series follows Leila, a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian young woman with a love of film and pulp novels who travels to California to reconnect with her estranged uncle – a semi-retired private eye once celebrated for having married the starlet he was originally hired to find.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 May 2026
That one is set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, where private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The Palladino Files – When legendary private eye Jack Palladino is murdered, one of his old targets, Ronan Farrow,takes up the case.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Krysten Ritter plays Jessica Jones, a former superhero battling PTSD and working as a private eye.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 May 2026
That one is set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, where private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The Palladino Files – When legendary private eye Jack Palladino is murdered, one of his old targets, Ronan Farrow,takes up the case.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Krysten Ritter plays Jessica Jones, a former superhero battling PTSD and working as a private eye.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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Inbred eccentrics and bumbling detectives have populated the seaside villages of Bruno Dumont’s absurdist comedies.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
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Exactly what led up to the shooting is under investigation by homicide detectives.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The Skaggs side will play a quick but important deposition of an investigator from the case, who testified that Kay told her ex-Angels VP Tim Mead was aware of Kay’s dynamic with Skaggs.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
9 Dec. 2025
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An unusual role reversal played out during a chaotic arrest in North Carolina, when the suspect attacked and bit a police dog, according to investigators.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, private detectives probed Hadley’s vulnerabilities as a witness.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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Two weeks later, Colin Farrell returns as Los Angeles private detective John Sugar in Sugar Season 2, which continues in the aftermath of Season 1's explosive finale and plunges deeper into a citywide conspiracy.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Citizens, private investigators, family and media have over the years requested crime and autopsy reports related to the case from Weatherford police — only to be met with persistent denials, according to records obtained by the Star-Telegram.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
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The pic follows Rourke’s private investigator who is hired to solve the mysterious disappearance of a singer known as Johnny Favorite.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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