as in detectives
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 gumshoes
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
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gumshoes
Noun
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Under the deal, 10 Nassau County detectives have been trained and designated to work with ICE on apprehensions and investigations, and the county has reserved 50 jail cells for ICE to hold detainees for up to 72 hours before deportation or charging.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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Maybe archaeologists and detectives are not so different.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Two of the victims, both of whom were women in their early 20s, told investigators they were raped at the tattoo studio, per the release.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Tracing them to Maduro would take federal investigators months.—
Joshua Goodman,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gumshoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gumshoes. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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