| 100% | TEC | 3 | Private investigator, informally |
| 66% | SLEUTH | 6 | Private investigator |
| 66% | DETECTIVE | 9 | Private investigator |
| 66% | TEC | 3 | Investigator, informally |
| 63% | CASE | 4 | Private investigator's job |
| 63% | TEC | 3 | Private investigator, in slang |
| 63% | DETECTIVEWORK | 13 | Private investigator's specialty |
| 63% | CASE | 4 | Private investigator's assignment |
| 63% | TECS | 4 | Private investigators, for short |
| 62% | TEC | 3 | Private investigator, in old slang |
| 61% | DETECTIVE | 9 | Sleuth, private investigator |
| 61% | TMAN | 4 | Speakeasy investigator, informally |
| 61% | SHAMUS | 6 | Private eye, informally |
| 61% | GUMSHOE | 7 | Private detective, informally |
| 61% | TMEN | 4 | Some investigators, informally |
| 60% | SHAFT | 5 | Private investigator played by Richard Roundtree |
| 60% | EXCOP | 5 | Many a private investigator |
| 60% | VERONICA | 8 | Ms. Mars, private investigator |
| 59% | ONACASE | 7 | Working, as a private investigator |
| 59% | CASE | 4 | Job for a private investigator |
| 57% | TMAN | 4 | Certain fraud investigator, informally |
| 57% | TECH | 4 | Computer crash investigator, informally |
| 57% | PREPPIE | 7 | Private school student, informally |
| 56% | TMEN | 4 | Tax-evasion investigators, informally |
| 56% | REACHER | 7 | Private investigator Jack created by the novelist Lee Child |
| 56% | SHAFT | 5 | Fictional private investigator played by Richard Roundtree |
| 55% | ANGELS | 6 | Female private investigators who worked for Charlie |
| 55% | FEDS | 4 | Operation Varsity Blues investigators, informally |
| 53% | REACHER | 7 | Lee Child private investigator Jack played by Tom Cruise |
| 50% | PREP | 4 | Word in private school names, informally |