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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private detective
Eventually, a private detective tracked down the Whiteheads in Holiday, Florida, and Baby M, as the child was known in the news, was brought back to the Sterns.
—
Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted.
—Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The private detective Snider hired to tail Dorothy and Bogdanovich, Marc Goldstein, had, according to a suit filed by Bogdanovich and the Stratten estate, stolen Dorothy’s diaries and other personal effects, sold them to a studio.
—Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
That is not a slight against Craig, whose ’90s-boy-band bangs and Foghorn Leghorn accent make private detective Benoit Blanc a delightful iconoclast.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted.
—Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The private detective Snider hired to tail Dorothy and Bogdanovich, Marc Goldstein, had, according to a suit filed by Bogdanovich and the Stratten estate, stolen Dorothy’s diaries and other personal effects, sold them to a studio.
—Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
That is not a slight against Craig, whose ’90s-boy-band bangs and Foghorn Leghorn accent make private detective Benoit Blanc a delightful iconoclast.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detective
Noun
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Investigators learned on Tuesday that Lickhart had died from her injuries, and homicide detectives took over the case, DiMartino said.—
Nathan Pilling
March 17,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
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As their investigation continues, LBPD detectives asked anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them at (562) 570-7355.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Anyone with further information was encouraged to contact investigator Manny Milian by calling Riverside Sheriff's dispatch at (951) 776-1099 or the Perris Sheriff's Station at (951) 210-1000.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Federal investigators said their review uncovered broader violations, concluding the district also allowed male students to access female-only facilities and compete on girls teams.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The untitled half-hour is a workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives, which continues the proud tradition of Los Angeles private eyes that began with Philip Marlowe and will end with this show.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
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Princess Lilibet and her brother, Prince Archie, 6, are often kept out of the private eye by their parents, but the siblings have recently been featured in a number of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's photos — and some of their philanthropic work.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Jane Levy is the latest addition to the cast of Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici’s NBC comedy pilot about private investigators.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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Windley and his family did their own investigations after his conviction to pin down the identity of the two robbers and pressure them to do the right thing and confess, hiring a private investigator to help them.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detective. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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