1
as in researcher
one who observes or studies by close examination and systematic inquiry
investigators who discovered new evidence that the universe was much older than had been previously estimated
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2
as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the investigator in charge of the case was touted as an expert at tracing stolen art
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Recent Examples of investigator
The driver, who had been shot in the shoulder, drove to Northwest Fifth Avenue and 46th Street, about a mile away, before calling police, investigators say.
—
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
Anyone with information that could help investigators locate Coughran is encouraged to contact the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 6 June 2026
In addition, the number of new federal research grants awarded to MIT investigators is also down more than 20%.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Last week, forensic investigators announced that zinc phosphide — a highly toxic chemical commonly used in rat poison — had been detected in the victims’ organs and in watermelon samples collected during the investigation, per the outlet.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for investigator
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
Anyone with information that could help investigators locate Coughran is encouraged to contact the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 6 June 2026
In addition, the number of new federal research grants awarded to MIT investigators is also down more than 20%.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Last week, forensic investigators announced that zinc phosphide — a highly toxic chemical commonly used in rat poison — had been detected in the victims’ organs and in watermelon samples collected during the investigation, per the outlet.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for investigator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for investigator
Noun
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Nobody knows how often adverse events occur, said Kristen Nixon, a Johns Hopkins University researcher who has studied posts about weight loss drugs on Reddit, a popular online forum.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
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With this in mind, researchers ran some simulations to explore how all that jostling for position might have affected the moons of Jupiter and Uranus in particular — and the results suggest that these two planets' moons only survived that tumultuous time because of a giant planet that didn't.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Applegate refused to leave until police officers arrived, according to the detective, a threat management expert.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
-
Flim-flam men and demonic detectives to the front.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/investigator. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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