as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the retired policeman decided to become a private investigator
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 investigator
According to Tuesday's court filing, private investigators later identified the buyers as Robert Yildirim and Ali Riza Yildirim of the Yildirim Group, a Turkish construction and shipping conglomerate.
—
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
In an affidavit filed on Wednesday (Mar. 5), a private investigator named Charlotte Henderson claims to have met with the accuser in late February in Alabama, per TMZ.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 6 Mar. 2025
The real life drama stars David Tennant and Robert Carlyle playing respectively journalist Nick Davies and Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook investigating over 2002-12 News of the World phone hacking and the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Feb. 2025
Duplicity takes audiences on a suspenseful journey as Marley teams up with her boyfriend, Tony, a former cop turned private investigator, played by Tyler Lepley.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
In an affidavit filed on Wednesday (Mar. 5), a private investigator named Charlotte Henderson claims to have met with the accuser in late February in Alabama, per TMZ.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 6 Mar. 2025
The real life drama stars David Tennant and Robert Carlyle playing respectively journalist Nick Davies and Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook investigating over 2002-12 News of the World phone hacking and the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Feb. 2025
Duplicity takes audiences on a suspenseful journey as Marley teams up with her boyfriend, Tony, a former cop turned private investigator, played by Tyler Lepley.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private investigator
Noun
-
The Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office declined to bring charges after speaking with CMPD detectives, the department said.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Rescuers pulled them from the rubble around 5:45 a.m. on April 3 and rushed them to the hospital for treatment for severe burns, Southgate police detective Sgt.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The IP address and phone number associated with the files belonged to Green, investigators said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The investigator observed Wright with a 16-year-old girl, according to federal officials.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Saint is streaming on Paramount+. ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005) Val Kilmer plays a private detective, Perry van Shrike, aka Gay Perry, opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s Harry Lockhart in writer-director Shane Black’s dark crime comedy.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
These private eyes spy on children in order to determine who is or isn’t living within the district’s strict attendance boundaries.—
Tim Deroche,
Orange County Register,
28 Jan. 2025
-
In that time, Will has started over as a private eye in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
7 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20investigator. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share