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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Through the streets of World War I Paris, the bohemian artist attempts to outmaneuver bombs, policemen, girlfriends, and critics in an increasingly desperate search of a home for his art.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The officer tells Wallen that the police were attempting to understand what happened after a chair fell from the bar’s rooftop and landed by the policeman’s patrol car.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Wilson County Sheriff’s Office detectives also found seven shell casings.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
14 Oct. 2025
-
And while the chemistry in the show — which followed a former model (Shepherd) and a detective (Bruce) who manage a private detective agency — was undeniable, a feud was seemingly brewing behind the scenes.—
Abby Stern,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This show will be quite the departure for the Bosch-iverse, as Michael Connelly hasn’t written much about Bosch’s days as a rookie cop.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Federal agents then deployed tear gas into the street, and 13 Chicago cops were exposed to the tear gas.—
Landon Mion , Bill Melugin,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Anyone with information about the crash who has not yet spoken to investigators is asked to contact the Colorado State Patrol dispatch at 970-249-4392 and reference case VC250372.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Monday’s sentencing marks the end of a years-long legal battle between Laffitte and his victims, after Laffitte was reportedly the first to face federal charges as investigators looked to take down the Murdaugh empire.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Staff at The Free Press are eager to start working with CBS News; reporter Olivia Reingold appeared on CBS News Friday morning to discuss her report that anonymous NYPD officers had been threatening to quit the force if Zohran Mamdani is elected New York City mayor.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Police issued a statement to the Observer saying four officers have been temporarily reassigned to uptown.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kamal says the constables accused him of forging them and detained him.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
11 Oct. 2025
-
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 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share