1
as in spies
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
CIA operatives take terrible risks to find out the secrets of foreign countries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in detectives
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
set in the 1930s, the novel is about a washed-out operative working for a third-rate detective agency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operatives
Noun
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Police identified teenage boys through video surveillance Mount Prospect police detectives were able to identify some of the teenage suspects through video surveillance footage of the incident at the 7-Eleven, the department said.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA TODAY,
4 Jan. 2025 -
Several hours later, detectives were told the man had died.—
Andrea Klick,
Kansas City Star,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Stephanie Severino, the mayor’s communications director, said Suarez and his staff did not engage in any activities that would require registration as foreign agents.—
Sarah Blaskey,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
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According to state media, around 1,200 soldiers and security agents have been mobilized to counteract any attempt to disrupt the inauguration of what would be Maduro’s third presidential term.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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JonBenet Ramsey’s father plans 'important meeting' with investigators.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
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There were no working carbon monoxide alarms in the home, investigators said.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
26 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Operatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operatives. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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