private eyes

plural of private eye
as in detectives
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eyes
Noun
  • Under the deal, 10 Nassau County detectives have been trained and designated to work with ICE on apprehensions and investigations, and the county has reserved 50 jail cells for ICE to hold detainees for up to 72 hours before deportation or charging.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Maybe archaeologists and detectives are not so different.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The scouting trips were particularly suspicious to investigators because none of the suspects are over 21 years old, ruling out legitimate visits to bars or clubs.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The department is asking witnesses to come forward, and also asks that people who have video of the incident submit it to investigators, both from the incident and from exterior cameras in the area.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The insider also told THR that in the wake of the July docuseries, the Bradley family has hired private investigators with funds seemingly obtained as a result of the show.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • First Brands implosion ‘not the last’ Industry insiders say the nature of certain private markets transactions means problems are becoming increasingly tricky to spot, despite more intensive levels of due diligence among investors, often involving private investigators.
    Hugh Leask, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Private eyes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eyes. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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