Showing results for private detective. Search instead for predicate+adjective.

Definitions

private detective

NOUN

detective employed by private parties

Synonyms

STRONGEST

detective gumshoe private eye private investigator sleuth

WEAK

P.I. Sherlock Holmes beagle dick flatfoot inquiry agent inspector investigator operative private dick skip tracer sleuthhound spotter tec

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.

Enter Dell Chandler, a failed English professor turned bootstrapping private detective, hired by Dr. Cutty to investigate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Claude, meanwhile, having left the police to become a private detective, is obsessed with solving a string of related wartime murders, including that of Huguette’s father.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Marten's family also hired a private detective to find her.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

Directed by Arthur Penn, who had previously worked with the actor on his breakthrough role in “Bonnie and Clyde,” Hackman plays Harry Moseby, a former pro football player turned L.A. private detective.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025

A savage storm blew across the prairie and turned the streets into rivers of mud, so the private detective didn’t arrive in Ponca City until dark, only to discover that Brown wasn’t there.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

private detective

Example Sentences

Related Words