as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the popular TV sleuth lives a much more action-packed life than do his real-world counterparts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sleuth
Season 5, which saw our sleuths unraveling the mystery of doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca), was the show's most star-studded yet, with appearances by Renée Zellweger, Richard Kind, and Dianne Wiest, among others.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
The Pentagon in May made public large swaths of UFO files with very little context, leaving curious sleuths to piece together their own interpretations.
—
Krysta Fauria,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Unfortunately for would-be sleuths, the former flames were never very vocal about their relationship on social media.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
Williams herself had to become a sleuth to write the book.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
The Pentagon in May made public large swaths of UFO files with very little context, leaving curious sleuths to piece together their own interpretations.
—
Krysta Fauria,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Unfortunately for would-be sleuths, the former flames were never very vocal about their relationship on social media.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
Williams herself had to become a sleuth to write the book.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleuth
Noun
-
My dad, a police detective, made sure the Klansman saw his service revolver on his waist.
-
Police ask any witnesses who were not contacted by authorities at the scene to contact detectives at (805) 654-9511.
Noun
-
Hinds County’s chief death investigator, Jeramiah Howard, attributed her death to the heat.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Sleuth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleuth. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
