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
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
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
Wired, 1 Nov. 2019
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shamus
Noun
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The cars slid backward and would have dropped through the opening made by the raising to the abutment of the bridge if policemen had not attracted the attention of the bridge tender by firing their revolvers.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
At the beginning of the siege, Ihor became a volunteer policeman, tasked with keeping order in a city that was becoming more lawless by the day.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Guy Ritchie directed both Sherlock Holmes films, which starred Jude Law as the titular detective's sidekick Watson.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
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Her detective Lord Peter Wimsey was usually to be found in the upper-class households and clubs that defined a certain strata of English society in the 1920s and 1930s.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Both Saint-Hilaire and Negron lived a short distance from the scene of the fatal crash, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
-
The movie is about how Irwin and his brother, a high-rolling ex-cop named Gary (Adam Driver), get involved in a financial scheme that ensnares them in the tentacles of the Russian mob.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told 6 ABC that investigators believe a group of friends, who included two boys and two girls, were hanging out at the home when the fatal shooting occurred.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
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State police later spoke to Vargas’ mother who said their lawyer had advised them not to talk to investigators and would contact police on their behalf, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Upon arrival, officers located a person with a single gunshot wound.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
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One of them, former Imperial officer the Client (Werner Herzog), hires Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) to retrieve an asset.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 May 2026
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Denise Paul Hatch, a former Center Township constable, is appealing her 2024 felony conviction for official misconduct.—
Robert Yoon,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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