detective work
Americannoun
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the professional activities of a detective; the activities involved in uncovering clues and making deductions leading to the identification of suspects in a crime.
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any activity that involves making careful observations or seeking out facts that are difficult to access, analyzing the information, and drawing conclusions.
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.
"So you have to do a little bit of detective work and try and figure out when this might have been from," she said.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
Years of detailed investigation followed, which Wright describes as "painstaking sleuthing and detective work."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2026
After hours of amateur detective work, Vic found out that his real name was actually—well, let’s just say his name was José Rey.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2025
In “Another Simple Favor,” Stephanie has parlayed her detective work into a career as a true crime novelist.
From Salon ● May 3, 2025
He likes the idea of detective work, of working to serve and protect the public.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
