private detective

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.

A private detective, Auguste Bell, arrives to solve the crime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Marten's family also hired a private detective to find her.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

I can also tell you that his character, John Sugar, is not an ordinary private detective, in ways that go beyond his fetishization of the film noir heroes he emulates.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2024

She wants to solve her mystery, as every private detective does.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2024

“Mr. Comstock had received some information,” a private detective wrote, noting that Comstock had reported that on May 14 an unidentified man had been seen lurking on the hill where Whitehorn’s body was subsequently found.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann