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
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.
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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
The report also indicates the two have taken care to keep their romance out of the private eye for what seems to be a substantial amount of time.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2024
Worse yet, a seedy private eye (Kevin Bacon) starts invading Maxine’s personal space and threatens to expose her murderous past.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for private eye 
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
The report also indicates the two have taken care to keep their romance out of the private eye for what seems to be a substantial amount of time.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2024
Worse yet, a seedy private eye (Kevin Bacon) starts invading Maxine’s personal space and threatens to expose her murderous past.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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David Hasselhoff and company tried to make this after-dark Baywatch spinoff work, but turning frequently shirtless lifeguard Mitch into a second-shift detective wasn’t a natural progression for the character.Sara Netzley, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024
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Questioning John is Lou Smit, a homicide detective then working for the Boulder D.A.'s office.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Brazilian authorities faced difficulties identifying victims due to a post-crash fire, with investigators from Brazil's Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) citing weather conditions and pilot error as contributing factors.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
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The recorded voice spoke in Spanish, but investigators translated it to English.KFOX Staff, Baltimore Sun, 25 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Colorado private detective Ollie Gray and his partner, John Sangustin, were hired by the Ramseys in 1999.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
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Per the report, citing one of three sources familiar with the matter, U.S. authorities believe the DCI Group, a public affairs and lobbying company working for Exxon back in 2015, had compiled a list of targets and provided them to an Israeli private detective, who then outsourced the hacking.Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
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She's hired various private investigators to find out her true identity, but only the low-rent Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) is still on the case.Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
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Atchison's defense attorney Ben Powers had asked Chappell to disqualify the DA's office from prosecuting the case because Powers and a private investigator were pictured in the audit.Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 22 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near private eye
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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