private eyes

plural of private eye
as in detectives
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of private eyes The untitled half-hour project is a workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives, which continues the proud tradition of Los Angeles private eyes that began with Philip Marlowe and will end with this show. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private eyes
Noun
  • Police said homicide detectives were called to the scene and a person of interest was detained.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Psychiatrists need to be good detectives during the entire process, even after a patient is on a medicine.
    Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Rogue OpenAI agents’ unprecedented coordination during the Hugging Face attack significantly increases the risk of AI escaping human control, analysts said, days after investigators released a bombshell report into the incident.
    Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Because one of the boy's family members had measles, investigators tested the boy's lung tissue and found evidence of measles infection, Diamantoni said.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Meanwhile, private detectives probed Hadley’s vulnerabilities as a witness.
    Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
  • The trio took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a PaleyFest event commemorating five decades of Charlie's Angels, the groundbreaking ABC series that followed a group of female private detectives.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In an interview with a neighbor, the private investigators learned that there was a cargo van outside the house at the time.
    Jeremy Greenberg, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Priestley and Sampson are reprising their roles as private investigators Matt Shade and Angie Everett.
    Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Private eyes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private%20eyes. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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