as in investigator
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the code used by the serial killer in his letters to the police was actually cracked by an amateur detective
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detective
True Detective has been a bizarre adventure in serialization, the first season being one of the best detective stories put to television, and the others being a rollercoaster of quality culminating in the recent True Detective: Night Country, which formed some tenuous links to season 1.
—
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Rian Johnson helms the third film in the mystery series, which will see Daniel Craig return as detective Benoit Blanc.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 31 May 2025
Kenner Police detectives are collaborating with Louisiana State Police investigators, the attorney general’s Office, and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office on the case.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
Its antihero, Edinburgh police detective Carl Morck, has just come back to work after being shot in the line of duty—while berating a young cop who was killed before Carl, distracted by anger, had a chance to finish his rant.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detective
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Rian Johnson helms the third film in the mystery series, which will see Daniel Craig return as detective Benoit Blanc.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 31 May 2025
Kenner Police detectives are collaborating with Louisiana State Police investigators, the attorney general’s Office, and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office on the case.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
Its antihero, Edinburgh police detective Carl Morck, has just come back to work after being shot in the line of duty—while berating a young cop who was killed before Carl, distracted by anger, had a chance to finish his rant.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detective
Noun
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Eliott Simpson, senior aviation accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the plane departed from Teterboro, New Jersey, at about 11:15 p.m. on May 21 and flew to Wichita, Kansas.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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However, investigators are still working to determine what sparked the violence.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Ashman, a 23-year-old water operative from Stafford, was one of two suspects questioned about the incident.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
3 June 2025
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Senior Hamas operatives with British citizenship have established charitable foundations that raise millions of pounds annually, some of which ends up in the hands of the group’s military wing.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detective. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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