as in investigators
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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Recent Examples of detectives
Rivera said that detectives told her Xion was found on top of two of his little siblings after the shooting.
—
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2025
Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death of a 1-year-old girl who was found unresponsive in a licensed daycare center in Rancho San Diego on Tuesday.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Upon identifying the user, the detectives initiated a full investigation and uncovered multiple listings from the same seller.
—Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating the murder of a woman whose body was found stuffed into a closet Monday at a Florida Keys resort.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
Homicide detectives assumed control over the investigation.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025
Eastern District shooting detectives assumed control of the investigation.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025
Criminal Investigation Division detectives initiated an investigation that identified 29-year-old Anthony Zohlman of Groton as a person of interest, police said.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Police identified teenage boys through video surveillance Mount Prospect police detectives were able to identify some of the teenage suspects through video surveillance footage of the incident at the 7-Eleven, the department said.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2025
Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death of a 1-year-old girl who was found unresponsive in a licensed daycare center in Rancho San Diego on Tuesday.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Upon identifying the user, the detectives initiated a full investigation and uncovered multiple listings from the same seller.
—Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating the murder of a woman whose body was found stuffed into a closet Monday at a Florida Keys resort.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
Homicide detectives assumed control over the investigation.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025
Eastern District shooting detectives assumed control of the investigation.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025
Criminal Investigation Division detectives initiated an investigation that identified 29-year-old Anthony Zohlman of Groton as a person of interest, police said.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Police identified teenage boys through video surveillance Mount Prospect police detectives were able to identify some of the teenage suspects through video surveillance footage of the incident at the 7-Eleven, the department said.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detectives. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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