gumshoe

1 of 2

noun

gum·​shoe ˈgəm-ˌshü How to pronounce gumshoe (audio)

gumshoe

2 of 2

verb

gumshoed; gumshoeing

intransitive verb

: to engage in detective work

Examples of gumshoe in a Sentence

Noun the couple paid a gumshoe to look for their missing son
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The gumshoe’s exploits, punctuated with suspense, dark comedy and a motley cast unique to the demimonde of the Mexican capital, have been made into films and a Netflix series and translated into English and other languages. Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025 The twist: The gumshoe is a two-year-old boy, the newcomer his baby sister. Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2024 Lansbury became a household name thanks to her portrayal of an unusual gumshoe, often in perilous situations but always polite and clutching a sensible handbag. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024 After 25 years, a family will be reunited with their missing relative thanks to a USA Today article and gumshoe police work. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gumshoe 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1913, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gumshoe was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near gumshoe

Cite this Entry

“Gumshoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gumshoe. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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