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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eyes
Noun
-
Rivera said that detectives told her Xion was found on top of two of his little siblings after the shooting.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Apr. 2025 -
Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death of a 1-year-old girl who was found unresponsive in a licensed daycare center in Rancho San Diego on Tuesday.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The human resources department cited telehealth providers, investigators and inspectors as examples of employees who fit into this exception.—
William Melhado,
Sacramento Bee,
15 Mar. 2025
-
On June 5, 2023, investigators said Bell got into an argument with a 39-year-old male co-worker after his shift at the Tropicana plant in Bradenton.—
Michael Moore Jr.,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Private eyes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eyes. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share