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
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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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The film sees detectives discover the remains of 23 women and six men at the residence of filmmaker and serial killer Mark Chapel, who is arrested along with a collaborator, Donovan Summers, who is also later detained.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
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In their investigation, detectives learned that Garfias, Vargas’s ex-boyfriend, sent her a text message luring her to the outside of a bar, the district attorney said in the statement.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Arizona investigators couldn't figure out who Jane Doe was, and California authorities had no idea who the babies were.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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That's why federal investigators called on Skull.—
Keith Sharon,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gumshoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gumshoes. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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