as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the retired policeman decided to become a private investigator
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 investigator
Harjo, with his eye for human eccentricities, lends a pulse to stock types—chief among them a poetry-loving private investigator named Marty (Keith David).
—
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Maislin hired a private investigator to find out who had hit the young firefighter.
—Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Maislin hired a private investigator to find out who had hit the young firefighter.
—Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private investigator
Noun
-
The second season is set to bow next year with Hodge set to return as the iconic detective.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
-
During his confession, Jones said the Nestors hired him to clean around their business — and told detectives what led up to the killings.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hamilton County Coroner's Office investigators are looking for relatives or friends of a West End woman who died recently.—
Enquirer staff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Sep. 2025
-
In mid-2020, investigators had a major breakthrough.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The movie follows the last human private detective in a futuristic world inhabited by humans and aliens.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The hotel is chasing him for his bill, and a private detective (Tilda Swinton) is chasing him for stealing money from a wealthy old woman.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The film written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke stars Margaret Qualley as a small-town private eye working a case of strange deaths at a mysterious church.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Short version: In this movie co-written and directed by Ethan Coen, Margaret Qualley plays a swaggering, small-town private eye whose investigations into a series of strange deaths lead her to a mysterious church run by a charismatic (and corrupt) preacher played by Chris Evans.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20investigator. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share