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
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
-
The cars slid backward and would have dropped through the opening made by the raising to the abutment of the bridge if policemen had not attracted the attention of the bridge tender by firing their revolvers.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
-
On the night of Oct. 6, 2016, Kardashian was by herself in her room at the No Address Hotel in Paris when five men dressed as policemen broke in, tied up her feet and hands and gagged her before putting her in a bathtub.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
Check out this exclusive clip from the new season, in which the detectives try to help a bird colony on the seashore track down a missing egg.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
20 May 2025
-
Van Buren County Sheriff's detectives took two years to put together their case.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
Among them is 9-1-1: Nashville, the latest from the Ryan Murphy cop universe.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
-
When Alma’s inventor is murdered, Salia and Zem, two cops from different zones who are polar opposites, are forced to collaborate on the investigation.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
On Wednesday, an investigator spied a suspicious drone over the detention center shortly before 3 a.m. and tracked it to a landing spot on top of an SUV parked just down the road.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2025
-
However, investigators are still working to determine what sparked the violence.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
Lawyers for the Harris County traffic cop said missteps by an officer prior to an escalating event do not strip them of the right to self-defense thereafter.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
An officer was taken in fair condition with an injury to the left shoulder to an area hospital.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Law enforcement agencies would have to create department files on any employee holding a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement license, which includes police, sheriff’s deputies, constables, corrections officers and others.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2025
-
The Center Township constable's office has made headlines in recent years because of scandals surrounding former constable Denise Hatch.—
Noe Padilla,
The Indianapolis Star,
15 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share