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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Beijing has been quick to denounce Maduro’s capture, condemning Washington for behaving like the world’s policeman.—
Steven Jiang,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
-
And Ahmed al-Ahmed, who came to Australia from Syria in 2006, a former policeman who now owns a fruit stand at Bondi Beach, tackled one of the gunmen and wrenched the rifle from him, even as he was wounded himself.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Nampa detectives eventually learned about Salat’s case in Ada County, where he originally was charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16, court records show.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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Robert Marshall, lead homicide detective, added.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The city was going bankrupt, the cops were on strike, and a fire had wiped out telephone service in my part of the East Side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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Those movies sent up buddy-cop films and alien-invasion flicks by way of a distinctly British perspective (there were plenty of droll asides to go along with the action scenes).—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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According to federal investigators, Neves Velente was responsible for both the Brown University mass shooting that killed two students and injured nine and the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno Loureiro, each of which occurred in December.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
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During the search, officials say that investigators found a series of short videos made by Neves Valente after the shootings.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Misael Tagle is the chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of Duchateau, a flooring manufacturer based in San Diego, CA.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s crackdowns have led to protests, disruptions, and attacks on federal officers.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Kamal says the constables accused him of forging them and detained him.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
11 Oct. 2025
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Randles plays Elle Hardy, a senior constable assigned to reinvestigating the case.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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