as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
the couple paid a gumshoe to look for their missing son
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gumshoe
Alas, by then the cheese heiress has skipped the country, and one Mickey Finn later our gumshoe comes to consciousness aboard an eastbound ship on the Atlantic.
—
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Chris Columbus, director of Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films, helms the comedic caper, which follows an amiable gang of gumshoes who spend their golden years investigating cold cases.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Murray Hill wants to bring a little fun and camp to a gumshoe series.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 19 June 2024
But like John Sugar, this humble TV gumshoe ain’t going anywhere.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gumshoe
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Chris Columbus, director of Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films, helms the comedic caper, which follows an amiable gang of gumshoes who spend their golden years investigating cold cases.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Murray Hill wants to bring a little fun and camp to a gumshoe series.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 19 June 2024
But like John Sugar, this humble TV gumshoe ain’t going anywhere.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gumshoe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gumshoe
Noun
-
That evening, a detective assigned to a robbery intervention detail tried to stop a black Mercedes-Benz at Northwest 17th Avenue and 71st Street, according to a MDSO video.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After Lawhead’s arrest, investigators searched the house and found loaded firearms, a bag with $15,000 and a burner phone, the sheriff said.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
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At one point, the 4-year-old lifted the blanket, exposing his bare stomach, and Berrios-Otero’s hand could allegedly be seen appearing to be below the child’s stomach area, an investigator wrote in the warrant affidavits.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gumshoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gumshoe. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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