1
as in policeman
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level
a hard-bitten L.A. shamus who, when he's not battling crooks, is locking horns with his superiors
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
he's a shamus who mostly finds evidence to use in divorce cases
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shamus
When the franchise was rejuvenated in 2000 with Samuel L. Jackson starring as the nephew of the famed shamus, Roundtree appeared as his uncle.
—
Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard was one in a long line of LA shamuses tripped up by wealth and beauty, from Marlowe and Gittes to Rawlins and Bosch.
—Wired, 1 Nov. 2019
With Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright back at the creative helm (and The Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the writing staff), the season picks up with Veronica (Bell) still working as a shamus in her SoCal hometown of Neptune.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2019
Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard was one in a long line of LA shamuses tripped up by wealth and beauty, from Marlowe and Gittes to Rawlins and Bosch.
—Wired, 1 Nov. 2019
With Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright back at the creative helm (and The Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the writing staff), the season picks up with Veronica (Bell) still working as a shamus in her SoCal hometown of Neptune.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shamus
Noun
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Some of the policemen were busy convincing men with rifles who had positioned themselves in between the houses along West Sullivan Street, facing the school, to hold their fire.—
Sally Ventura
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
-
Baruchel will play Jacob Merrick, a small-town policeman.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, back at the Marine Mammal Care Center, the scientific detective work is about to begin.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
8 July 2025
-
The victim’s relatives showed detectives a photo of Ackerman and the victim in the same area the victim’s body had been located, according to an affidavit.—
Caroline Zimmerman
July 7,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
Noun
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The Venetian police’s hybrids, recently aquired, are by Huracan Marine, designed to run on diesel when the cops need bursts of speed, and on electricity when slow cruising is required.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
People occasionally call the cops on Romeo and Juliet.—
David Lei,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Fishy past Two decades ago, federal investigators alleged Marky’s was one of those companies caught in black market dealings.—
Kylie Williams,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2025
-
The couple and their dog Gilbert were shot in their home during the early morning hours of June 14, by a gunman who investigators say was targeting Democratic lawmakers.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
The new ban includes exemptions for expressing constitutional rights, obstructing access when disabled, requesting emergency aid, and complying with an officer’s directives to leave or accept services.—
Tim Clouser,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2025
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The other officer, George Feinauer, was injured during the incident but is expected to recover, Smith said.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
That's perhaps because Hatch, the former Center Township constable, was removed from office in October 2024 after pleading guilty to felony official misconduct.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
20 June 2025
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The constable said Eichner was rushed to Causeway Hospital but died from her injuries a short time later.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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