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

The detectives brought the bags of tapes into the room where Bayoumi was being questioned - and some of the footage was played to him.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Like detectives following a suspect’s footprints, savvy investors know it’s important to read the clues the market is giving.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

On the day he would need to be charged or released, the Met detectives joined a conference call with several senior officials from the US Department of Justice and FBI.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

He said divisions and distrust existed among Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Compton detectives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

But now and again, I had my doubts about Mr. Pinkerton’s detectives and the lengths they were willing to go to in order to catch a criminal.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan