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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The intensive care doctor who treated the boy told detectives the child arrived at the hospital in cardiac arrest, with a traumatic brain injury, including bleeding on the brain, bleeding of the eyes and a broken left leg, the report states.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
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In March 2000, Jackson County drug detectives knocked on the door of a Grandview home and came out with 15 pounds of marijuana — and an informant willing to talk.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What investigators conclude about Robinson’s motivations may have far-reaching consequences beyond his own criminal case.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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If tax records and documents do not add up, employers and employees may be arrested and detained as investigators sort out who is illegally present in the United States or illegally employing workers.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gumshoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gumshoes. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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