detective

[dih-tek-tiv] / dɪˈtɛk tɪv /

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.

Finnish detectives also feared they wouldn't find the suspect given the volume of data they had to sift through.

From BBC

During the interview, she told the detective that she had gone to the toilets and skipped a lesson which was something that she had never done before.

From BBC

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

First, lead detective John Lamberti discusses securing a confession from her.

From Los Angeles Times

The woman who is now in her 60s told a detective in March 2020 about several incidents that she said had happened at Richmond Lodge.

From BBC

detective

Example Sentences

Related Words