How to Use private investigator in a Sentence

private investigator

noun
  • She hired a private investigator to follow her husband.
  • And as time went on, the tribe would hire private investigators to look into it.
    — Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Rose tries to hire a private investigator to track him down, but she's got no money and no leads on a job.
    — Alex Raiman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2022
  • Doug hired a private investigator to find out what was going on.
    — Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2021
  • Heather had a friend who was training to be a private investigator.
    — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The lawyers hired a private investigator to help look for the student.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022
  • The funds will help pay for a private investigator, rewards, posters and more.
    — Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024
  • As the body count piles up, the cracks in their plan emerge, while a private investigator and the police close in on them.
    — Laura Zornosa, Time, 7 July 2023
  • In the latest case, the city even hired a private investigator.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2019
  • As his story gained traction, even a private investigator reached out to help find the lost dog.
    — Luke Chinman, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The series revives the more than two-year-old case through the eyes of a new private investigator.
    — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 6 Oct. 2021
  • One of her friends wanted to hire a private investigator but didn’t have enough money.
    — Hazlitt, 8 May 2024
  • There was no need to hire a private investigator to dig into Willis’s love life.
    — Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2024
  • This week that news includes private investigators, a pool full of gold coins, and maybe even a little bit of hope.
    — Julie Muncy, WIRED, 9 Aug. 2019
  • And what if a private investigator went looking for it?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves.
    — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves.
    — Nick Ferraro, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Even a private investigator struck out in the search nearly 20 years ago.
    — Zach Murdock, courant.com, 6 Sep. 2020
  • Maybe a private investigator shared too much.
    — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Nicolas Cage stars in this neo-noir about a private investigator who delves into the world of snuff films.
    — Men's Health, 29 Mar. 2022
  • The Notre Dame team felt a bit like its spouse had hired a private investigator to catch it cheating.
    — Dan Egan, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2021
  • Maislin hired a private investigator to find out who had hit the young firefighter.
    — Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Did the Guthries hire their own private investigator?
    — Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Her partner-in-crime on the show, Brit Prawat, used to be a private investigator.
    — Rashika Jaipuriar, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Aug. 2021
  • Swalwell hired a private investigator to track down Brooks and serve the lawsuit.
    — Marshall Cohen and Tierney Sneed, CNN, 27 July 2021
  • In happier news, his dream to get a private investigator license comes true.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
  • Howard told me that Pecker had spent thousands of dollars to buy the file from a private investigator.
    — Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
  • And so is Marty, who turns out to be Don’s private investigator.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Love also hired a private investigator to find her husband.
    — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
  • At the time this story was published, an attempt to reach the private investigator did not receive a response.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'private investigator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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