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
Relevance
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shamus
Noun
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Yesterday, the Sun asked this question of a wide variety of people – an auxiliary policeman, a protest marcher, a steelworker, a politician, a barber, a bridegroom, a bootblack and others.
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The pivotal match itself — the semifinal encounter against hosts Uruguay — is also more convincingly depicted and dramatic, particularly for how one of the goals is assisted by an interfering policeman (incredibly, this did actually happen).
Noun
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Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.
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On June 12, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Pollock on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, police said.
Noun
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The 16-year-old killer accused of fatally stabbing a young man in the heart of Dyker Beach Park in Brooklyn made an impromptu confession to an off-duty cop just 45 minutes later, prosecutors said Monday.
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Applying a three-part process, cops worked with Google to narrow down the list of suspects and eventually arrested Okello Chatrie, who had opted in to share his location with Google every few minutes.
Noun
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The bicyclist died at the location, and the driver remained and is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.
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Using data collected from an educator certificate exam in 2018 that Knowles took under her own name and comparisons of check-in photos, investigators found Knowles took or tried to take the exams for multiple women and one man, according to the affidavit.
Noun
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Local and state officials have not identified the officer who opened fire.
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Police said officers in the area quickly located a person matching the suspect's description, prompting a foot pursuit.
Noun
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Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.
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Denise Paul Hatch, a former Center Township constable, is appealing her 2024 felony conviction for official misconduct.
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Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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