private detectives

noun

plural of private detective
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private detectives
  1. detectives
  2. investigators
  3. private investigators
  4. private eyes
Noun
  • From the classic ‘Whodunit’ style to thrilling neonoirs, mystery novels have compelled readers to solve cases alongside detectives like Hercule Poirot.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The driver fled in an unknown direction, but detectives identified the vehicle by parts that were left on the road after the crash.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of detectives
Noun
  • In a statement posted to Facebook, the Wichita Police Department asked anyone with video of the incident to upload it so investigators could take a look.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In coordination with agents from the state Department of Labor’s Wage & Workplace Standards Division, investigators determined that the business was operating without a workers’ compensation insurance policy on two separate occasions.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of investigators
Noun
  • The private investigators recovered one truck with help from the Mexican army.
    — Steve Fisher Special Correspondent Follow, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • During the test, two private investigators were hired to conduct surveillance on Hogan.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of private investigators
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
Definition of private eyes

Browse Nearby Words

private detective
private detectives
privateer
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Cite this Entry

“Private detectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20detectives. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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