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
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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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Today’s policed are tomorrow’s policemen.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
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The actors tells the stories of the deceased, including cattleman and 6666 ranch owner Samuel Burk Burnett, and the city’s first Black policeman, Hagar Tucker.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The second season is set to bow next year with Hodge set to return as the iconic detective.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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During his confession, Jones said the Nestors hired him to clean around their business — and told detectives what led up to the killings.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Nostalgic fans from around the world can attend events like screenings, meet and greets and dinners alongside some of the original cast members and crew from the legendary NBC cop drama that ran from 1984 to 1989.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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The pressure Alex, who is endowed by Martin with endearing softness and paralyzing self-doubt, feels to be a brave cop, a strong father, and the righteous hero of this story can’t be separated from his experience as a trans man still honing his relationship to masculinity.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Hamilton County Coroner's Office investigators are looking for relatives or friends of a West End woman who died recently.—
Enquirer staff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Sep. 2025
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In mid-2020, investigators had a major breakthrough.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has taken up the anti-immigrant campaign aggressively, deputizing law-enforcement officers to assist ICE in its roundups.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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One person was killed and three others were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash in Pala early Sunday morning, according to California Highway Patrol officers.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Randles plays Elle Hardy, a senior constable assigned to reinvestigating the case.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
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The county then introduced a budget proposal that cut the sheriff’s salary in half and the constable’s salary by 75 percent, to $31,000.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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