| Hard-boiled protagonist |
Newsday |
15 Aug 2026 |
| Investigator, in brief |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
06 Aug 2026 |
| Sleuth, in short |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
21 Jul 2026 |
| Hi-____, sportswear brand |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
13 May 2026 |
| Detective, informally |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
07 May 2026 |
| Detective, for short |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
10 Apr 2026 |
| Shamus |
Wall Street Journal |
28 Mar 2026 |
| Gumshoe |
Wall Street Journal |
19 Mar 2026 |
| Old-timey slang for an investigator |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
01 Feb 2026 |
| Private investigator, informally |
New York Times |
25 Jan 2026 |
| Private eye, in old slang |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
08 Jan 2026 |
| Detective, in short |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
16 Dec 2025 |
| Detective, in short |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
30 Nov 2025 |
| Detective (abbr.) |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
11 Nov 2025 |
| Film noir protagonist |
Newsday |
31 Oct 2025 |
| Private eye, informally |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
23 Aug 2025 |
| P.I. |
New York Times |
15 Aug 2025 |
| Private investigator, informally |
|
|
| Private eye, in old slang |
|
|
| Dated nickname for a sleuth |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
26 Jun 2025 |
| Eye feature of climate change |
|
|
| Detective, in slang |
The Telegraph Mini |
27 May 2025 |
| Sleuth, in old slang |
Premier Sunday |
25 May 2025 |
| Private eye, in old crime novels |
New York Times |
15 Apr 2025 |
| Gumshoe |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
20 Mar 2025 |
| Private eye |
LA Times Daily |
02 Mar 2025 |
| Sleuth |
Eugene Sheffer |
24 Feb 2025 |
| Slangy sleuth |
Premier Sunday |
19 Jan 2025 |
| Private eye |
Newsday |
01 Jan 2025 |
| Gumshoe |
New York Times |
26 Dec 2024 |
| Gumshoe, in hard-boiled fiction |
Wall Street Journal |
21 Dec 2024 |
| Detective |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
21 Nov 2024 |
| Columbo or Magnum, e.g. |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
18 Nov 2024 |
| Investigator, in old slang |
|
|
| Short for detective |
|
|
| Detective (abbr.) |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
24 Sep 2024 |
| Sleuth, in old slang |
Wall Street Journal |
17 Aug 2024 |
| Private eye, in old slang |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
26 Jun 2024 |
| Investigator |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
23 Jun 2024 |
| Who'll do for criminal etc? |
|
|
| Private eye, in old slang |
New York Times |
22 May 2024 |
| Many a noir hero |
LA Times Daily |
12 May 2024 |
| Investigator (inf) (3) |
|
|
| Sleuth, for short |
Commuter |
25 Mar 2024 |
| Gumshoe or investigator |
|
|
| Sleuth, in slang |
Premier Sunday |
17 Mar 2024 |
| Investigator, in short (3) |
|
|
| Not the complete sleuth (3) |
|
|
| Private eye (inf) (3) |
|
|
| Not the complete CID man (3) |
|
|
| PI, for short |
|
|
| Detective, briefly |
|
|
| Caper film narrator, often |
Newsday |
09 Dec 2023 |
| Hercule Poirot, e.g., for short |
New York Times |
06 Dec 2023 |
| Sleuth, in old slang |
Premier Sunday |
22 Oct 2023 |
| Gumshoe |
Thomas Joseph |
09 Oct 2023 |
| Investigator, informally |
Wall Street Journal |
15 Jul 2023 |
| Gumshoe |
LA Times Daily |
06 Jul 2023 |
| Noir sleuth |
LA Times Daily |
25 Mar 2023 |
| Sleuth |
Eugene Sheffer |
30 Dec 2022 |
| Private eye |
LA Times Daily |
23 Oct 2022 |
| Film noir investigator |
Newsday |
14 Aug 2022 |
| Gumshoe |
Wall Street Journal |
26 Jul 2022 |
| Sleuth, slangily |
Premier Sunday |
10 Jul 2022 |
| Gumshoe or PI |
Family Time |
12 Jun 2022 |
| Many a noir hero |
LA Times Daily |
30 Dec 2021 |
| Slangy sleuth |
Premier Sunday |
05 Dec 2021 |
| Gumshoe |
New York Times |
20 Nov 2021 |
| Gumshoe |
Wall Street Journal |
07 Sep 2021 |
| Private eye, quaintly |
New York Times |
09 Aug 2021 |
| Private eye, in old lingo |
New York Times |
03 Aug 2021 |
| Gumshoe |
Thomas Joseph |
19 Jul 2021 |
| Shamus |
LA Times Daily |
30 May 2021 |
| Shamus |
|
|
| Sleuth, in old slang |
Premier Sunday |
30 May 2021 |
| Gumshoe |
Wall Street Journal |
06 May 2021 |
| Sleuth, slangily |
|
|
| Noir sleuth |
LA Times Daily |
29 Aug 2020 |
| Noir sleuth |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
LA Times Daily |
26 Jul 2020 |
| Shamus |
New York Times |
06 Jun 2020 |
| Gumshoe |
Family Time |
01 Jun 2020 |
| Sleuth, slangily |
Premier Sunday |
08 Dec 2019 |
| TV's Jim Rockford, for one |
LA Times Daily |
24 Nov 2019 |
| TV's Jim Rockford, for one |
|
|
| Investigator, informally |
|
|
| P.I., in old slang |
|
|
| Sam Spade, e.g., informally |
New York Times |
24 May 2019 |
| Sleuth, in slang |
New York Times |
20 May 2019 |
| Gumshoe |
Newsday |
07 Apr 2019 |
| Noir investigator, slangily |
|
|
| Noir hero |
LA Times Daily |
21 Feb 2019 |
| Noir hero |
|
|
| Sleuth |
Eugene Sheffer |
04 Feb 2019 |
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Noir hero |
|
|
| Sam Spade, e.g., informally |
|
|
| Sleuth, in slang |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| PI kin |
Universal |
15 Dec 2018 |
| Sleuth |
Universal |
05 Dec 2018 |
| Private eye, etc |
Universal |
28 Nov 2018 |
| Solver with a set of clues, for short |
New York Times |
16 Nov 2018 |
| PI or sleuth |
Universal |
01 Oct 2018 |
| P.I. kin |
Universal |
21 Sep 2018 |
| Sleuth, for short |
Newsday |
02 Sep 2018 |
| Chandler/Hammett hero |
Newsday |
25 Aug 2018 |
| Private eye, informally |
|
|
| Film noir stock character |
Newsday |
10 Aug 2018 |
| Private investigator, informally |
|
|
| Old-time investigator |
Newsday |
29 Jun 2018 |
| Clue seeker, briefly |
Universal |
18 Jun 2018 |
| P.I |
Family Time |
03 Jun 2018 |
| Shamus |
Universal |
25 Apr 2018 |
| Sleuth kin |
Universal |
23 Apr 2018 |
| Private eye |
New York Times |
15 Apr 2018 |
| Private eye |
LA Times Daily |
15 Apr 2018 |
| Private eye, slangily |
Universal |
08 Apr 2018 |
| Hero of hard-boiled fiction |
Newsday |
01 Apr 2018 |
| Private eye |
Universal |
27 Mar 2018 |
| Investigator, in old film noir |
New York Times |
26 Mar 2018 |
| Sam Spade type |
|
|
| Sam Spade type |
LA Times Daily |
28 Jan 2018 |
| P.I |
New York Times |
25 Jan 2018 |
| Clue seeker, briefly |
|
|
| PI or sleuth |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Sam Spade type |
|
|
| Private eye, etc. |
|
|
| Sleuth |
|
|
| P.I. kin |
|
|
| PI kin |
|
|
| Sleuth kin |
|
|
| Private eye, slangily |
|
|
| One who might document assignations, informally |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Investigator, in old film noir |
|
|
| Solver with a set of clues, for short |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| P.I., slangily |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| Private eye, in old slang |
New York Times |
18 Oct 2017 |
| Snooping pro |
Newsday |
16 Sep 2017 |
| Sleuth's cohort |
Universal |
08 Sep 2017 |
| A sleuth or private eye, for short |
|
|
| Adulterer follower, in slang |
|
|
| Adulterer follower, in slang |
LA Times Daily |
27 May 2017 |
| Frequent film noir protagonist |
Newsday |
03 Mar 2017 |
| Adulterer follower, in slang |
|
|
| Private eye, in old slang |
|
|
| Sleuth's cohort |
|
|
| Clue hunter, informally |
|
|
| Investigator's hours out of college |
The Times Cryptic |
21 Nov 2016 |
| Sleuth, in potboilers |
Universal |
10 Aug 2016 |
| PI |
Universal |
07 Jul 2016 |
| Lt. Columbo, e.g |
Universal |
09 Mar 2016 |
| D.Tracy, for one |
|
|
| Sleuth, in potboilers |
|
|
| PI |
|
|
| Sleuth, slangily |
LA Times Daily |
27 Dec 2015 |
| Sleuth, for short |
Eugene Sheffer |
26 Dec 2015 |
| Sam Spade, e.g |
LA Times Daily |
05 Dec 2015 |
| P.I |
Universal |
12 Nov 2015 |
| Sleuth in pulp fiction |
USA Today |
07 Oct 2015 |
| M.Hammer or S.Holmes |
|
|
| Columbo, for one |
Universal |
22 Aug 2015 |
| P.I., e.g |
USA Today |
18 Aug 2015 |
| P.I., e.g |
Universal |
29 Jun 2015 |
| Gumshoe |
USA Today |
24 Jun 2015 |
| Detective, slangily |
|
|
| Sleuth (Sl.) |
Eugene Sheffer |
12 Jun 2015 |
| Private Eye shortly gets half of 27 down |
|
|
| Busy, maybe going into rising inheritance tax. |
|
|
| Investigator doesn't finish college |
The Telegraph Toughie |
17 Feb 2015 |
| Sleuth, in slang |
USA Today |
13 Feb 2015 |
| Columbo, famously (Abbr.) |
USA Today |
05 Feb 2015 |
| Investigator regularly observed in the act |
The Telegraph Toughie |
29 Jan 2015 |
| Sleuth, in slang |
|
|
| Sam Spade, e.g. |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Sleuth, slangily |
|
|
| Whodunit solver, briefly |
|
|
| P.I., e.g. |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Columbo, famously (Abbr.) |
|
|
| Sleuth in pulp fiction |
|
|
| P.I., e.g. |
|
|
| Columbo, for one |
|
|
| Sleuth, in old crime fiction |
|
|
| Old-time gumshoe |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| Investigator, informally |
|
|
| 20-Across, e.g., informally |
|
|
| Classic Bogart role, in slang |
|
|
| Philip Marlowe type, informally |
|
|
| Sleuth |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| PI |
|
|
| Private eye, slangily |
|
|
| Clue analyzer, in slang |
|
|
| G-man |
|
|
| Criminal investigator, for short |
|
|
| Investigator, slangily |
|
|
| Private eye, for short |
|
|
| Private eye, slangily |
|
|
| Investigator, slangily |
|
|
| Private investigator, in old slang |
|
|
| Sleuth, slangily |
|
|
| Pulp fiction gumshoe |
|
|
| Gumshoe, briefly |
|
|
| Pulp fiction gumshoe |
|
|
| Clue collector, slangily |
|
|
| Sleuth, to Sayers |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Sam Spade, e.g., for short |
|
|
| Noir protagonist |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Investigator, briefly |
|
|
| Caper investigator |
|
|
| Gumshoe, for short |
|
|
| Caper film narrator, often |
|
|
| Investigator, slangily |
|
|
| Dick |
|
|
| Private eye, informally |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Private investigator, in slang |
|
|
| Dick |
|
|
| Gumshoe, briefly |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Gumshoe or shamus |
|
|
| Noir hero |
|
|
| Sleuth, in slang |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Slangy sleuth |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, e.g. |
|
|
| Sleuth, in slang |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Gumshoe, briefly |
|
|
| He works on a case-by-case basis |
|
|
| Common pulp protagonist |
|
|
| Sleuth, briefly |
|
|
| He works on a case-by-case basis |
|
|
| Hammett's Spade, e.g. |
|
|
| Private eye, briefly |
|
|
| Spade, e.g., for short |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Short investigator? |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Dick Tracy, e.g. |
|
|
| Sherlock |
|
|
| Clue analyzer, in slang |
|
|
| Sleuth, slangily |
|
|
| Sleuth, informally |
|
|
| Hammett's Spade, e.g. |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Private eye, briefly |
|
|
| Dick |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| Slangy sleuth |
|
|
| Sleuth, slangily |
|
|
| Private dick |
|
|
| Sam Spade type |
|
|
| Investigator, slangily |
|
|
| Hawkshaw |
|
|
| Private eye, briefly |
|
|
| Sleuth, in slang |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| Dick Tracy is one, briefly |
|
|
| V.I. Warshawski, e.g. |
|
|
| Pulp protagonist, perhaps |
|
|
| Dick Tracy is one, briefly |
|
|
| V.I. Warshawski, e.g. |
|
|
| Gumshoe, slangily |
|
|
| Spade, e.g., briefly |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Spade, e.g., slangily |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Spade, e.g., briefly |
|
|
| Magnum, e.g., briefly |
|
|
| Private eye, slangily |
|
|
| Magnum, e.g., briefly |
|
|
| Gumshoe, for short |
|
|
| Spade, e.g., slangily |
|
|
| Private eye, slangily |
|
|
| Hammer or Spade, e.g. |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Short investigator |
|
|
| Hammer or Spade |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Sleuth, slangily |
|
|
| Person with a magnifying glass, for short? |
|
|
| Sam Spade, for one |
|
|
| Hammer, e.g., briefly |
|
|
| Dick Tracy, e.g. |
|
|
| Spade or Hammer |
|
|
| Clue hunter, informally |
|
|
| Gumshoe, for short |
|
|
| Hammer, e.g., briefly |
|
|
| Either half of 42 Across |
|
|
| Hi-__: shoe brand |
|
|
| Private dick |
|
|
| Hi-__: shoe brand |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| PI |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Investigator, briefly |
|
|
| Investigator, slangily |
|
|
| Investigator, briefly |
|
|
| Case studier, slangily |
|
|
| Sleuth |
|
|
| Clue hunter, informally |
|
|
| Dick |
|
|
| Pulp fiction gumshoe |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Pulp fiction sleuth |
|
|
| Clue collector, slangily |
|
|
| Sleuth, in potboilers |
|
|
| Magnum, for one |
|
|
| Gumshoe, for short |
|
|
| Sleuth, for short |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Old-time gumshoe |
|
|
| Magnum, for one |
|
|
| Sleuth, for short |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| P.I., e.g. |
|
|
| Dick |
|
|
| Eye |
|
|
| Sleuth in pulp fiction |
|
|
| Pinkerton, e.g. |
|
|
| Columbo, for one |
|
|
| Sherlock |
|
|
| Dick |
|
|
| Sleuth, informally |
|
|
| PI |
|
|
| P.I.^TE |
|
|
| Private eye, for short |
|
|
| Sleuth, informally |
|
|
| PI |
|
|
| P.I. |
|
|
| Short investigator |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| Sleuth |
|
|
| Private eye |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Hawkshaw |
|
|
| Investigator for short |
|
|
| Mike Hammer, for one |
|
|
| Operator: Abbr. |
|
|
| Soho sleuth |
|
|
| Old-time gumshoe |
|
|
| Lt. Columbo, e.g. |
|
|
| Sam Spade, e.g. |
|
|
| Spade or Hammer |
|
|
| Gumshoe |
|
|
| Sleuth |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| L.A.P.D. member |
|
|
| See 50 Down |
|
|
| Hawkshaw |
|
|
| Operative, for short |
|
|
| Flatfoot's relative |
|
|
| Plainclothesman, for short |
|
|
| Soho sleuth |
|
|
| ___-9 (semi-automatic weapon) |
|
|
| Thief's enemy: Colloq. |
|
|
| Sleuth: Sl. |
|
|
| Gumshoe, for short. |
|
|
| Plain-clothes man: Slang. |
|
|
| Clue man. |
|
|
| Sleuth. |
|
|
| Gumshoe. |
|
|
| Private eye. |
|
|
| Case guy |
|
|
| Dick |
|
|
| Sleuth: Slang. |
|
|
| Army subrating: Abbr. |
|
|
| Detective: Slang. |
|
|
| Shamus |
|
|
| Queen, e.g., for short |
|
|
| He's a dick |
|
|
| He works on a case by case basis |
|
|
| Case guy, for short |
|
|
| Dick. |
|
|
| Hawkshaw. |
|
|
| Operative: Slang. |
|
|
| Sleuth, for short. |
|
|