gumshoe

noun

ˈgəm-ˌshü How to pronounce gumshoe (audio)
Definition of gumshoenext
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

Relevance

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 gumshoe Cage plays Ben Reilly, a gumshoe struggling to remain afloat in New York City in the Great Depression. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 Referring to himself with words like spy, detective, gumshoe, Wilbur pulls all kinds of sleuth-like maneuvers to find out ingredients and amounts used in the recipes. — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026 When the populist demagogue Willie Stark orders Burden, journalist turned gumshoe, to dig up dirt on a local judge, Burden demurs; certainly there are no skeletons in the office of the good judge. — Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 The show will star Nicolas Cage as a gumshoe version of Spider-Man in an alternate 1930s New York City. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gumshoe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gumshoe
  1. detective
  2. investigator
Noun
  • Back at his Brickell apartment, detectives searched the unit after a judge signed off on a warrant.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
  • About a month after Craig’s death, police homicide detectives released security camera video of a suspect in the Oak Park fatal shooting.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of detective
Noun
  • The affidavit also stated that representatives for the NFL and the San Francisco 49ers told investigators that Love had never been employed by either organization.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Homicide investigators and crime scene technicians canvassed the area for evidence and witnesses.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of investigator

Browse Nearby Words

gums
gumshoe
gumshoes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gumshoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gumshoe. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on gumshoe

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gumshoe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All