sleuth

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sleuth But then lo and behold, on Monday, those same sleuths (plus a few gossip mags) took a look at Trump’s Instagram. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025 Starring Uzo Aduba, Cordelia Cupp is a sleuth defined by her competence. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025 Conan Doyle: creator of Sherlock Holmes and by extension all subsequent super sleuths with an eccentric character, eagle eye for detail, encyclopedic knowledge of unexpectedly useful trivia and the brain of a UNIVAC. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025 Characters name-drop fictional sleuths like Columbo, Sherlock Holmes, and Benoit Blanc. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleuth
Noun
  • Last fans saw, she was picked up by two New York Police Department officers who escorted her off a bus and told her detectives at the police station had questions for her about Famous' death.
    Julia Moore, People.com, 9 May 2025
  • Resurrection, a sci-fi detective movie from Chinese director Bi Gan (Long Day’s Journey Into Night), is a late addition to this year’s competition.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • According to the documents, investigators secured a search warrant for footage from inside the school and saw Morrison encourage other students to mentally and physically abuse a child at the school.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • On April 16, investigators determined her account was accessed from an IP address at a home where 44-year-old Maximilian Bondrescu lived.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sleuth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleuth. Accessed 12 May. 2025.

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