as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the firm hired a hawkshaw to find out who was fencing stock from their warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hawkshaw
Noun
-
The Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office declined to bring charges after speaking with CMPD detectives, the department said.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2025 -
Rescuers pulled them from the rubble around 5:45 a.m. on April 3 and rushed them to the hospital for treatment for severe burns, Southgate police detective Sgt.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The IP address and phone number associated with the files belonged to Green, investigators said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The investigator observed Wright with a 16-year-old girl, according to federal officials.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These private eyes spy on children in order to determine who is or isn’t living within the district’s strict attendance boundaries.—
Tim Deroche,
Orange County Register,
28 Jan. 2025
-
In that time, Will has started over as a private eye in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
7 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Hawkshaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hawkshaw. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share