as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the popular TV sleuth lives a much more action-packed life than do his real-world counterparts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleuth
The video went viral, internet sleuths did their thing, and their identities were splashed across every gossip rag in town.
—
Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
Craig Silverman and Alexios Mantzarlis, two other internet sleuths who’ve covered similar issues, launched their own independent outlet, Indicator, earlier this year, as Semafor scooped.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Amateur sleuths and podcasters Charles, Oliver and Mabel would feel right at home in a historic European building since their beloved Arconia has that feel with its Italian Renaissance Revival style.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
As a culturally influential, enduringly popular fictional character Agatha Christie’s Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is rivaled only by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
Craig Silverman and Alexios Mantzarlis, two other internet sleuths who’ve covered similar issues, launched their own independent outlet, Indicator, earlier this year, as Semafor scooped.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Amateur sleuths and podcasters Charles, Oliver and Mabel would feel right at home in a historic European building since their beloved Arconia has that feel with its Italian Renaissance Revival style.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
As a culturally influential, enduringly popular fictional character Agatha Christie’s Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is rivaled only by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleuth
Noun
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Homicide detectives deemed the death suspicious and began investigating.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
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The show is also adding Ashley Walters, who earned an Emmy nomination for his incredible turn playing the lead detective in Netflix’s Adolescence.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Instead, the Kennedy focuses on the stark reality of a man fighting to protect himself and his family from Santa Fe prosecutors and investigators, who in the doc, seem driven less by the facts than by their interest in putting Baldwin on trial for his polarizing public persona.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
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This allowed investigators to collect DNA, which led them to the teen, Scott said.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleuth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleuth. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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