: a law-enforcement officer (such as a sheriff or marshal)
Synonyms of lawman
Examples of lawman in a Sentence
Wyatt Earp was a famous American lawman of the Wild West.
as the rural county's chief lawman, the sheriff has to patrol a vast area with only minimal manpower
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, a lynch mob formed by the notorious Lake County lawman, Sheriff Willis McCall, shot Thomas, 26, hundreds of times and killed him in a Panhandle encounter, as Thomas tried to flee the state days after Padgett’s accusations.
—
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Pursued by legendary lawman Pat Garrett and his ambitious young deputy, Ross takes refuge at a remote homestead ravaged by diphtheria.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
The moral decay of Karensville might as well be Charlottesville and the epithet-spewing McLeoud behaves too much like myriad red-state lawmen for comfort.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Maul and Devon's relationship is an entertaining tug-of-war; Lawson is a caf-loving lawman best described as well-meaning, but out of his element; and the inevitable arrival of Imperial forces (including two Inquisitors) quickly threatens disaster for both sides.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawman
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.
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Pursued by legendary lawman Pat Garrett and his ambitious young deputy, Ross takes refuge at a remote homestead ravaged by diphtheria.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
The moral decay of Karensville might as well be Charlottesville and the epithet-spewing McLeoud behaves too much like myriad red-state lawmen for comfort.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Maul and Devon's relationship is an entertaining tug-of-war; Lawson is a caf-loving lawman best described as well-meaning, but out of his element; and the inevitable arrival of Imperial forces (including two Inquisitors) quickly threatens disaster for both sides.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lawman
Cite this Entry
“Lawman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawman. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lawman
noun
law·man
ˈlȯ-mən 
: a law-enforcement officer (as a sheriff or marshal)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
