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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shamus
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
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
With Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright back at the creative helm (and The Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the writing staff), the season picks up with Veronica (Bell) still working as a shamus in her SoCal hometown of Neptune.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2019
Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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
With Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright back at the creative helm (and The Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the writing staff), the season picks up with Veronica (Bell) still working as a shamus in her SoCal hometown of Neptune.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shamus
Noun
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But Europe cannot take the United States’ place as the world’s policeman.—
Oona A. Hathaway,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
-
Israel’s strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation, which appeared to catch many world leaders unawares, is the latest sign of a more volatile world as Trump seeks to withdraw the U.S. from its role as world policeman.—
Rob Gillies,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, back at the Marine Mammal Care Center, the scientific detective work is about to begin.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
8 July 2025
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The victim’s relatives showed detectives a photo of Ackerman and the victim in the same area the victim’s body had been located, according to an affidavit.—
Caroline Zimmerman
July 7,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
Noun
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The Venetian police’s hybrids, recently aquired, are by Huracan Marine, designed to run on diesel when the cops need bursts of speed, and on electricity when slow cruising is required.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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But after the impact, Gutierrez Silva sped away from the scene, cops said.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Noun
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But in Hartig’s formal response posted to the body’s website on Wednesday, July 9, Hartig revealed her own bevy of concerns with judicial investigators and county prosecutors alike.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
11 July 2025
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Maya Lau, an investigative journalist and financial investigator, hosts the podcast.—
Anne Easton,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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If officers are promoted based on loyalty instead of merit, then our fighting forces will be less effective.—
Time,
Time,
1 July 2025
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Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, released two revealing conversations between Gaza residents and officers from the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) for Gaza.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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That's perhaps because Hatch, the former Center Township constable, was removed from office in October 2024 after pleading guilty to felony official misconduct.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
20 June 2025
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The constable said Eichner was rushed to Causeway Hospital but died from her injuries a short time later.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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