Thesaurus
slang
Synonyms & Antonyms of shamus
1
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 for shamus
Words Related to shamus
- detective,
- dick,
- gumshoe,
- hawkshaw,
- inspector,
- investigator,
- plainclothesman,
- sherlock,
- sleuth,
- sleuthhound
- constabulary,
- heat
- [slang],
- man,
- police,
- police force
Near Antonyms for shamus
2
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 for shamus
Words Related to shamus
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More About shamus
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 3 Aug. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Farm Idioms Quiz
-
- What does 'poke' refer to in the expression 'pig in a poke'?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share shamus
Time Traveler for shamus
The first known use of shamus was in 1925
See more words from the same year