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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private eye
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
Continue reading … DARK WATERS – Natalee Holloway private eye's stark warning after another American student goes missing.
—Fox News, 11 Mar. 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
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
Continue reading … DARK WATERS – Natalee Holloway private eye's stark warning after another American student goes missing.
—Fox News, 11 Mar. 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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Anyone with information regarding the man’s death can contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
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This time, police taped off the house and questioned Sutton-Schulman for two hours until a detective got a call from the hospital confirming that L had attempted suicide in the woods behind the house.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After witnessing Nillo driving erratically after leaving the commissioner’s apartment building, investigators stopped her and seized the vehicle.—
Joey Flechas,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
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This suspect has now been stopped in his tracks because of the diligent and tenacious work done by investigators at both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the 1999 thriller 8mm, Nicolas Cage plays a private detective who watches a graphic film of a girl’s murder.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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In September 2025, Cecilie Fjellhøy teamed up with private investigator Brianne Joseph to uncover other romance scams in Netflix's Love Con Revenge.—
Kelsie Gibson,
People.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Catfish-style, Cecilie works with a private investigator, Brianne Joseph, to help uncover elaborate cons, support victims, and hold serial scammers accountable.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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