sleuth

American  

[slooth] / sluθ /

noun

1. a detective.

   Synonyms:

   shamus, gumshoe, private eye, private investigator, investigator

2. a bloodhound, a dog used for tracking.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to track or trail, as a detective.

sleuth British  

/ sluːθ /

noun

1. an informal word for detective

2. short for sleuthhound

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verb

1. (tr) to track or follow

Other Word Forms

• sleuthlike adjective
• supersleuth noun

Etymology

Origin of sleuth

First recorded in 1875–80; short for sleuthhound

Example Sentences

“At its center is Beast Mode: the 510’s legendary fixer and freelance sleuth whose rough exterior hides a code of loyalty and willingness to deal with problems others won’t touch,” the release reads.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

A data sleuth named Sholto David first flagged irregularities in some of Dana-Farber’s researchers’ papers in January 2024, and contacted the cancer institute and Harvard Medical School.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

As Jessica Fletcher, the mystery-writing amateur sleuth in “Murder, She Wrote,” Lansbury never prejudges.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

And a few moments of self-doubt for our seemingly infallible sleuth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

And there she comes, strawberry-haired Nancy Drew, the girl sleuth, so American and so sure of herself, wearing a round collared blouse and a pencil skirt, wielding her magnifying glass.

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• gumshoe
• private detective
• private eye