as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
unable to get the interest of the police, they hired a private eye to find their missing daughter
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private eye
Set in 1979, the series follows Leila, a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian young woman with a love of film and pulp novels who travels to California to reconnect with her estranged uncle – a semi-retired private eye once celebrated for having married the starlet he was originally hired to find.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 May 2026
That one is set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, where private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The Palladino Files – When legendary private eye Jack Palladino is murdered, one of his old targets, Ronan Farrow,takes up the case.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Krysten Ritter plays Jessica Jones, a former superhero battling PTSD and working as a private eye.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 May 2026
That one is set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, where private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The Palladino Files – When legendary private eye Jack Palladino is murdered, one of his old targets, Ronan Farrow,takes up the case.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Krysten Ritter plays Jessica Jones, a former superhero battling PTSD and working as a private eye.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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Authorities asked anyone with information about Moore's whereabouts to contact detectives at 803-358-7271 or Midlands Crimestoppers.—
Stephen Sorace , Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
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Inbred eccentrics and bumbling detectives have populated the seaside villages of Bruno Dumont’s absurdist comedies.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Noun
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In the video recorded at the Elliot Key Marina shortly after the collision, Pino can be seen telling the investigator that his attention was split immediately before the accident.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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The Police Department in Friday’s post said the arrest by its Major Collisions Unit followed an investigation by responding officers, detectives and crime scene investigators that involved a four-hour neighborhood canvass.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Noun
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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.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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William Hopper’s Paul Drake assisted as Mason’s go-to private detective with a knack for finding the evidence Mason and his clients needed.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Noun
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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
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Hackman plays a chess-loving private investigator tasked with finding the 16-year-old daughter (Melanie Griffith, in her film debut) of a fading actress.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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