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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private investigator
But hardcore fans also know her Riley Thorn series, which follows a reluctant psychic and her handsome private investigator boyfriend.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
With help from a private investigator, Kenny and his girlfriend, Whitney Fransway, found information about Larry's wife, Debbie, and scheduled a time to reconnect.
—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
Depending on the circumstances, this may include private investigators, attorneys, cybersecurity professionals, exchanges, regulators or law enforcement agencies.
—
Jon Stojan
june 23,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
But when one of them is murdered, private investigator Aubrey Merritt and her assistant Olivia Blunt must unravel decades of secrets and fractured loyalties to uncover the killer.
—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
With help from a private investigator, Kenny and his girlfriend, Whitney Fransway, found information about Larry's wife, Debbie, and scheduled a time to reconnect.
—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
Depending on the circumstances, this may include private investigators, attorneys, cybersecurity professionals, exchanges, regulators or law enforcement agencies.
—
Jon Stojan
june 23,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
But when one of them is murdered, private investigator Aubrey Merritt and her assistant Olivia Blunt must unravel decades of secrets and fractured loyalties to uncover the killer.
—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private investigator
Noun
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My dad, a police detective, made sure the Klansman saw his service revolver on his waist.
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Police ask any witnesses who were not contacted by authorities at the scene to contact detectives at (805) 654-9511.
Noun
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Hinds County’s chief death investigator, Jeramiah Howard, attributed her death to the heat.
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Carla Walker cold case The 1974 murder of 17-year-old Carla Walker in Fort Worth, Texas, went unsolved for more than four decades before advanced DNA testing helped investigators identify her killer.
Noun
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The book introduced readers to Easy Rawlins, a private detective in mid-20th-century Watts who would go on to figure into more than 15 novels (and counting).
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The stylistic eccentricities have been dialed back, including the use of old Hollywood film clips to reflect the action and possibly the thoughts of its main character, a cinephile from space, who is both practicing and enacting the work of a private detective.
Noun
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In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
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Set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future inhabited by aliens and humans as seen from a 1939 perspective, the film revolves around private eye Raymond Gunn (Rockwell) who is drawn into a case involving murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20investigator. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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