detectives

NOUN

investigator of crime

Synonyms

STRONGEST

agent informer police officer private eye private investigator prosecutor reporter sleuth spy

STRONG

analyst bloodhound bull constable cop dick eavesdropper eye fed fink flatfoot gumshoe nark peeper roper scout sergeant shadow shamus shoofly snoop tail

WEAK

P. I. Sherlock Holmes bird dog plainclothes officer slewfoot

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When detectives raided the Los Angeles area hotel where Ying was staying, they found blank manuscripts in the style of the books that had been checked out.

From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026

Indeed, that was effectively unknowable because, as the NYPD’s chief of detectives told reporters, they had learned that the bomb could’ve been timed to go off anywhere in the 12 hours prior to actual detonation.

From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026

They do, particularly when police detectives and television crews arrive at the Pinnacle, which Mr. Mukherjee describes with the same keen wit he deploys in his Wyndham and Banerjee mystery series.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

It shows the motorhome inside a police compound with detectives - in white forensic suits - photographing some of the contents.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

“Guess we’re not such great detectives as we thought,” he whispered.

From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon