as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
when the police insisted that it was an accident and not murder, she hired a private detective
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of private detective
The untitled project, co-written and executive produced by Goor and Del Tredici, is a workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives.
—
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
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
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
The movie follows the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
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
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
The movie follows the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detective
Noun
-
Nampa detectives eventually learned about Salat’s case in Ada County, where he originally was charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16, court records show.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Robert Marshall, lead homicide detective, added.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Minnesota officials have claimed federal authorities blocked state investigators from accessing evidence in the case and asserted that the state lacks jurisdiction to independently investigate the killing, according to the AP.—
Greg Wehner , Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Agents told investigators that one of their colleagues opened fire Thursday after the driver put the truck in reverse and repeatedly slammed into an unoccupied car the agents had rented, smashing its headlights and knocking off its front bumper.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Brian Albert, former Boston cop and now Brockton private eye extraordinaire, will hold a press conference to announce the hiring of his two newest very ethical crack sleuths – Michael Proctor and Kelly Dever.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
31 Dec. 2025
-
The novel sometimes reads like a prequel to Gravity’s Rainbow; the private eye, Hicks McTaggart, moving through a universe already vibrating with the same febrile harmonics that will later detonate in the Second World War.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Second is private investigator Elena Ravenscroft (Ruth Jones), working on a different missing child case, for a different father.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
And what if a private investigator went looking for it?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detective. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
