as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the popular TV sleuth lives a much more action-packed life than do his real-world counterparts
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 sleuth
Internet sleuths on Reddit cracked the code for Monday at 4 p.m. ET.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
In 2023, the new management at Laguna Playhouse imported Hercule Poirot for its first show; Agatha Christie’s Belgian sleuth will return in June.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2025
Conan Calls Out Karla Sofía Gascón’s Tweet Storm There was a bit of an elephant in the room in the 2025 Oscars ceremony, with Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón Oscar’s campaign disrupted after her many, many inflammatory tweets were uncovered by internet sleuths.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Mobsters like Capone and Moran have been romanticized in popular culture, and the still-unsolved crime has invited amateur sleuths to study up.
—Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
In 2023, the new management at Laguna Playhouse imported Hercule Poirot for its first show; Agatha Christie’s Belgian sleuth will return in June.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2025
Conan Calls Out Karla Sofía Gascón’s Tweet Storm There was a bit of an elephant in the room in the 2025 Oscars ceremony, with Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón Oscar’s campaign disrupted after her many, many inflammatory tweets were uncovered by internet sleuths.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Mobsters like Capone and Moran have been romanticized in popular culture, and the still-unsolved crime has invited amateur sleuths to study up.
—Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleuth
Cite this Entry
“Sleuth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleuth. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share