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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Recent Examples of private eye
Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) A box-office disappointment, this adaptation of the Walter Mosley novel actually got more attention for then-newcomer Don Cheadle’s scene-stealing turn as a lunatic associate of Washington’s main character, the cool, calculating private eye Easy Rawlins.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
Once there, he gets wrapped up in a mystery, befriends a private eye named Perry (Val Kilmer), and reconnects with Harmony (Michelle Monaghan), a childhood crush.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
The indie is set in a near future society ruled by sentient artificial intelligence and has a private eye investigate a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The series mixes the everyday with the inexplicable beautifully, with a standout performance by Cynthia Erivo as an eccentric private eye.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
Once there, he gets wrapped up in a mystery, befriends a private eye named Perry (Val Kilmer), and reconnects with Harmony (Michelle Monaghan), a childhood crush.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
The indie is set in a near future society ruled by sentient artificial intelligence and has a private eye investigate a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The series mixes the everyday with the inexplicable beautifully, with a standout performance by Cynthia Erivo as an eccentric private eye.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2025
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One of the men involved in the shooting was also struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital, where he was interviewed by detectives.—
Julia Bonavita,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The government's own investigators have repeatedly found serious problems in immigration detention centers around the country.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA TODAY,
23 Mar. 2025
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In a missing persons poster provided by the sheriff's office, investigators wrote that the family had rented a 2024 white BMW with California license plate number 9KHN768.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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At the time, McTiernan had hired Hollywood’s famous private detective Anthony Pellicano, to spy on Rollerball’s producer Charles Roven.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Jones lacks the cloak-and-dagger aspect of his most successful forebear, Allan Pinkerton, whose namesake agency once commanded a force of private detectives larger than the U.S. Army.—
Jasper Craven,
Harper's Magazine,
23 July 2024
Noun
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Her turn as savant-like private investigator Holly Gibney in HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Outsider is a remarkable one.—
Sezin Koehler,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Davis’ lawyers filed a motion saying new witness testimony from a private investigator could prove that Davis was not in Las Vegas at the time of Shakur’s killing in September 1996.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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