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.

See Examples For:

detectives

“Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence,” on BritBox starting Wednesday, is “based on the stories and characters of Agatha Christie,” which the detectives among you have deduced has something to do with … Agatha Christie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

"Significant inquiries remain ongoing in relation to all of these incidents and we will continue to draw on detectives and specialist resources to identify anyone else involved."

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Later, he said that authorities obtained video of three coming and going from the apartment from the complex’s security, which helped detectives with a search warrant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

He was blue-lighted down to Paddington Green Police Station in London, where detectives began questioning him.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Faith wasn’t about evidence and eyewitnesses, like with Aunt Kitty and Mr. Pinkerton’s other detectives.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan