Thesaurus results for OPERATIVES

operatives

noun

plural of operative

as in spies

a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country CIA operatives take terrible risks to find out the secrets of foreign countries

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as in detectives

a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons set in the 1930s, the novel is about a washed-out operative working for a third-rate detective agency

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of operatives Jamal allegedly promised to protect the Feeding Our Future operatives against the threat of prosecution, took their money, and then turned some of them over to investigators. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026 To the continued amazement of advantage players, casino operatives can argue with apparent conviction that card counting— essentially mental arithmetic—is a form of fraud. — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 Sandinista operatives are suspected in a series of shootings, abductions and killings of Nicaraguan exiles in Costa Rica in recent years. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler and Hans-Dieter Mundt, two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026 Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler (Brühl) and Hans-Dieter Mundt (Kammerer), two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026 On the same day, HHS senior adviser Calley Means doubled down on the claim, posting on X that Kennedy is doing so well that Democratic operatives are slamming the FDA for doing its job by conducting food recalls. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 This season, which focuses on tracking down Hamas operatives to stop another catastrophic attack on Israel, speaks directly to a post-October 7 Israeli psyche that is consumed by revenge fantasies. — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026 Many Floridians still remember the 2010 faceoff between Rick Scott and Alex Sink, where GOP operatives pounced on Sink for reading a message sent by an aide in the closing moments of the event. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for operatives

Noun

Most of these freelancers stayed in the Hotel Istanbul, which was home to a rotating cast of war tourists, jihadis, drifters, and spies.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The actor grew up immersed in the entertainment business as the son of one of Hollywood's most famous spies.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of spies

Noun

Anyone with information is asked to call KCPD homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

— Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
Sheriff’s officials said the detectives later identified Morales Garcia, Farfan Ambriz and Medina as suspects in the homicide and obtained arrest warrants for them.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of detectives

Noun

The investigators notified the Mexican army, providing the license plate number.

— Steve Fisher Special Correspondent Follow, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
This month, Philadelphia police and FBI investigators returned to the Horsch house, searching for any physical evidence that could confirm what the horrific images appear to show.

— Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of investigators

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operative

operatives

operator

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“Operatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operatives. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of operatives

noun

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