as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons the fictional sleuthhound Miss Marple is notable for her age as well as for her understanding of human nature, both of them being rather advanced

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleuthhound
Noun
  • Leslie Nielsen, whose legendary turn as bumbling L.A. detective Frank Drebin still has fans merrily reciting his most famous lines, passed away in 2010.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
  • While Leslie Nielsen made Detective Frank Drebin iconic, Liam Neeson now steps into the role of his son, hapless detective Frank Drebin Jr.
    Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • After making it into the apartment, the brothers jumped off a second floor balcony to escape, investigators say.
    Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2025
  • Panjabi is likely best known, however, for her work on series like Life on Mars (2006–2007) and as investigator Kalinda Sharma on The Good Wife (2009–2015), the latter of which earned her three Emmy nominations and one win.
    EW.com, EW.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • As his story gained traction, even a private investigator reached out to help find the lost dog.
    Luke Chinman, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The family's private investigator, Carl DeFazio, told Fox News Digital that the couple went boating the day before the tech executive went missing.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 16 July 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Sleuthhound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleuthhound. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

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