1
as in policemen
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 detectives
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shamuses
Noun
-
To be honest, this risk goes also to nurses, policemen, teachers, doctors, public servants.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026 -
An unknown bomb-thrower at a labor rally sparked the Haymarket Affair on the Near West Side; eight policemen and at least four civilians died.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Bastrop County detectives found evidence that Aviles had been dragged, strangled and assaulted, noting mud on her clothing and feet, bruising on her neck, chin and lip, and blood on her face and the exterior of her car.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
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As their investigation continues, detectives ask anyone with more information to come forward.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
After some counting—and the consulting of an Excel spreadsheet—the officers determined that Silvia and Guojun were the parents of twenty-one children in total, nearly all under the age of three.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
After a series of coups by officers dissatisfied with lagging counterterrorism efforts, juntas in the three countries booted France altogether, establishing close ties with Russia instead.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
Noun
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His attorney had asked officers to check on him, investigators said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Security footage captured the black ride-share vehicle on the road when a white vehicle, identified by investigators as belonging to the police officer, approached.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Burke, who cops said is homeless, was also arrested three times in February for assault, burglary, resisting arrest, drugs and weapons charges.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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As the number of people in the database grew, DNA technology has advanced, protesters said, giving cops access to more kinds of biological identifiers.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The trio took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a PaleyFest event commemorating five decades of Charlie's Angels, the groundbreaking ABC series that followed a group of female private detectives.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Jackson was involved with the show — which followed three beautiful private detectives — from the very beginning, helping Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg put together the idea after her time on The Rookies.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 May 2026
-
Off stage, Benedick and Beatrice spar their way toward the aisle, while our bumbling constables take center stage.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The report wasn’t news to NFL teams, which routinely employ private investigators to dig into draft prospects and compile detailed reports on their backgrounds.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Priestley and Supernatural’s Cindy Sampson have reprised their roles as private investigators Matt Shade and Angie Everett in the series, which was originally greenlit by Canada’s Corus Entertainment.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shamuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamuses. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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