as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
unable to get the interest of the police, they hired a private eye to find their missing daughter
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of private eye
Princess Lilibet and her brother, Prince Archie, 6, are often kept out of the private eye by their parents, but the siblings have recently been featured in a number of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's photos — and some of their philanthropic work.
—
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
On Friday, the network added a comedy, a private eye show from Brooklyn Nine-Nine alumni Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
Brian Albert, former Boston cop and now Brockton private eye extraordinaire, will hold a press conference to announce the hiring of his two newest very ethical crack sleuths – Michael Proctor and Kelly Dever.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The novel sometimes reads like a prequel to Gravity’s Rainbow; the private eye, Hicks McTaggart, moving through a universe already vibrating with the same febrile harmonics that will later detonate in the Second World War.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
On Friday, the network added a comedy, a private eye show from Brooklyn Nine-Nine alumni Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
Brian Albert, former Boston cop and now Brockton private eye extraordinaire, will hold a press conference to announce the hiring of his two newest very ethical crack sleuths – Michael Proctor and Kelly Dever.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The novel sometimes reads like a prequel to Gravity’s Rainbow; the private eye, Hicks McTaggart, moving through a universe already vibrating with the same febrile harmonics that will later detonate in the Second World War.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private eye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eye
Noun
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That evening, a detective assigned to a robbery intervention detail tried to stop a black Mercedes-Benz at Northwest 17th Avenue and 71st Street, according to a MDSO video.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Forensic investigators will determine whether the shooting was accidental, police said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Kemp said investigators suspect the Brantley County fire was sparked by an aluminum party balloon that touched live power lines, creating an electrical arc that sparked flames on the ground.—
Emilie Megnien,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In Charlie's Angels, Liu, Barrymore, 51, and Diaz, 53, star as three women working in a private detective agency.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
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The movie was made even stranger by then-Hollywood heavyweights like Jackie Chan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robert Evans playing heightened versions of themselves — not to mention an unsettling performance by Harvey Weinstein as a private detective that has, to put it mildly, not aged well.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The report wasn’t news to NFL teams, which routinely employ private investigators to dig into draft prospects and compile detailed reports on their backgrounds.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Priestley and Supernatural’s Cindy Sampson have reprised their roles as private investigators Matt Shade and Angie Everett in the series, which was originally greenlit by Canada’s Corus Entertainment.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Private eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eye. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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