as in detectives
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 detectives
Meanwhile, private detectives probed Hadley’s vulnerabilities as a witness.
—
Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
The trio took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a PaleyFest event commemorating five decades of Charlie's Angels, the groundbreaking ABC series that followed a group of female private detectives.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Jackson was involved with the show — which followed three beautiful private detectives — from the very beginning, helping Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg put together the idea after her time on The Rookies.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Richard Bronswijk, who heads the Dutch police art crime unit, says he's seen private detectives create problems when money is the driver.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
The untitled half-hour project 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.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026
And after testimony in Miami one day, former Police Chief and Carollo foe Art Acevedo, was followed from the courthouse to a restaurant in Coral Gables by a couple of private detectives.
—Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted.
—Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
The trio took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a PaleyFest event commemorating five decades of Charlie's Angels, the groundbreaking ABC series that followed a group of female private detectives.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Jackson was involved with the show — which followed three beautiful private detectives — from the very beginning, helping Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg put together the idea after her time on The Rookies.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Richard Bronswijk, who heads the Dutch police art crime unit, says he's seen private detectives create problems when money is the driver.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
The untitled half-hour project 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.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026
And after testimony in Miami one day, former Police Chief and Carollo foe Art Acevedo, was followed from the courthouse to a restaurant in Coral Gables by a couple of private detectives.
—Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted.
—Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detectives
Noun
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The investigation into the incident led detectives to determine that Johnson was the suspect.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
The case went cold until 2022, when detectives linked Heuermann to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.—
Philip Marcelo,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The woman told investigators that Landry was jealous of Stewart.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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Federal investigators from the NTSB and FAA are probing the cause as aviation experts highlight longstanding concerns over lax maintenance standards and safety culture in the skydiving industry.—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Citizens, private investigators, family and media have over the years requested crime and autopsy reports related to the case from Weatherford police — only to be met with persistent denials, according to records obtained by the Star-Telegram.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
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Meanwhile, the victims were still being intimidated by Epstein’s private investigators.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The untitled half-hour project 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.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private detectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detectives. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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