| 100% | EYES | 4 | Private __ (detectives) |
| 100% | SNOOPERS | 8 | Private detectives |
| 91% | SNOOP | 5 | Private detective |
| 91% | OPERATIVE | 9 | Private detective |
| 91% | SLEUTH | 6 | Private detective |
| 89% | GUMSHOE | 7 | Private detective, informally |
| 87% | CASES | 5 | Private detective's assignments |
| 87% | SPYING | 6 | Private detective's task |
| 82% | SHAYNE | 6 | Private detective Mike of Brett Halliday novels |
| 81% | MADDIE | 6 | __ Hayes; private detective in Moonlighting |
| 81% | SHERLOCK | 8 | ___ Holmes, the fictional private detective |
| 81% | XXXX | 4 | Wife of private detective Nick |
| 79% | TRYST | 5 | What a private detective might photograph |
| 77% | JKROWLING | 9 | She created the private detective Cormoran Strike |
| 76% | SAM | 3 | Private detective Spade in Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" |
| 75% | SLEUTH | 6 | Detective or private eye |
| 72% | EYES | 4 | Private ___ (detectives) |
| 71% | SLEUTH | 6 | Detective, private eye, anagram of hustle |
| 68% | EYE | 3 | Private ___ (detective) |
| 68% | EYE | 3 | Private __ (detective) |
| 67% | ROBERTCRAIS | 11 | Mystery writer who created private detectives Elvis Cole and Joe Pike (2 wds.) |
| 66% | MIKECONNORS | 11 | Actor who played a private detective in Los Angeles on "Mannix" (2 wds.) |
| 65% | HIGH | 4 | "Inch ___, Private Eye," '70s cartoon about a miniature detective |
| 64% | INHERENTVICE | 12 | 2014 Paul Thomas Anderson film starring Joaquin Phoenix as a private detective: 2 wds. |
| 64% | ANGEL | 5 | Former TV series starring David Boreanaz as a vampire working as a private detective |
| 64% | SLEEP | 5 | "The Big ___," film noir by Howard Hawks where Humphrey Bogart plays a private detective |
| 62% | JAMESGARNER | 11 | Actor who played a private detective in Los Angeles on "The Rockford Files" (2 wds.) |
| 61% | COBIESMULDERS | 13 | "How I Met Your Mother" actress who plays private detective Dex Parios on "Stumptown": 2 wds. |
| 61% | MONK | 4 | 2002 comedy-drama where the titular character Adrian, a private detective, was based on Sherlock Holmes |