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

He provided the information to detectives, who arrested the boy at a residence in Suisun City on Monday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Nicolas Martinez said detectives continue to investigate, but that “there is still no evidence that shows the death was a result of foul play.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Local detectives caught a break after Navarro was arrested on traffic charges in Cleveland County, Okla. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office coordinated his extradition with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

But, the author tells us, it was Bell, through Holmes’s creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, who would inspire generations of real-life forensic detectives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

But that’s the thing about keeping the company of detectives.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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