| 100% | DICKS | 5 | Private ___ (investigators) |
| 100% | SLEUTH | 6 | Private investigator |
| 100% | DETECTIVE | 9 | Private investigator |
| 90% | TEC | 3 | Private investigator, informally |
| 89% | TECS | 4 | Private investigators, for short |
| 88% | CASE | 4 | Private investigator's job |
| 88% | TEC | 3 | Private investigator, in slang |
| 88% | DETECTIVEWORK | 13 | Private investigator's specialty |
| 88% | CASE | 4 | Private investigator's assignment |
| 86% | TEC | 3 | Private investigator, in old slang |
| 86% | DETECTIVE | 9 | Sleuth, private investigator |
| 84% | SHAFT | 5 | Private investigator played by Richard Roundtree |
| 84% | EXCOP | 5 | Many a private investigator |
| 84% | VERONICA | 8 | Ms. Mars, private investigator |
| 82% | ONACASE | 7 | Working, as a private investigator |
| 82% | CASE | 4 | Job for a private investigator |
| 79% | ANGELS | 6 | Female private investigators who worked for Charlie |
| 78% | REACHER | 7 | Private investigator Jack created by the novelist Lee Child |
| 78% | SHAFT | 5 | Fictional private investigator played by Richard Roundtree |
| 74% | REACHER | 7 | Lee Child private investigator Jack played by Tom Cruise |
| 70% | SARAPARETSKY | 12 | Mystery writer who created private investigator V.I. Warshawski (2 wds.) |
| 69% | HONEYDONT | 9 | 2025 black comedy starring Margaret Qualley as a private investigator: 2 wds. |
| 65% | FALCON | 6 | "The Maltese ___," film noir by John Huston where Humphrey Bogart plays a private investigator |
| 65% | TAMALAJONES | 11 | "Castle" actress who plays private investigator Lana in the TV series "Rebel": 2 wds. |
| 65% | HARRYO | 6 | 1970s US television series that starred David Janssen as a San Diego private investigator |
| 63% | MIKEHAMMER | 10 | Private investigator created by Mickey Spillane played by 43-Across in the 1980s and 1990s (2 wds.) |
| 63% | VIWARSHAWSKI | 12 | Fictional private investigator featured in 19 novels, including 28-Across, by 40-Across (3 wds.) |
| 63% | EASYRAWLINS | 11 | Fictional war veteran and private investigator featured in 14 novels by 29-Across (2 wds.) |
| 63% | JACKTAYLOR | 10 | Mystery drama series set in Ireland starring Iain Glen as a private investigator (2 wds.) |
| 63% | ODDSAGAINST | 11 | First novel by 36-Across featuring private investigator and former jockey Sid Halley (2 wds.) |