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
Relevance
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
-
However, her personable commanding officer Majid (Shafi al-Harthi) sees the value in her perspective when a high school student’s body turns up in the desert, and Nawal discerns clues from details which the policemen overlook, from the girl’s manicure to the embroidery on her abaya.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
8 June 2026 -
Eight policemen and at least four civilians died.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Police urge anyone with information to call KCPD detectives at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.—
Rashad Alexander,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
-
Using security camera video and witness statements, detectives identified Burnside as the shooting suspect, according to the Sheriff’s Office.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive 28-year-old man in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to the body.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
Fans flooded the area near the Garden, where NYPD officers in riot gear moved in to disperse large crowds.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The woman told investigators that Landry was jealous of Stewart.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Federal investigators from the NTSB and FAA are probing the cause as aviation experts highlight longstanding concerns over lax maintenance standards and safety culture in the skydiving industry.—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Vallejo followed this victim on his scooter through Bushwick before threatening her and attempting to remove her skirt, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
-
This would have been a great opportunity to call the cops and tell them that Ashe was high and crashed the SUV into the lake.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, private detectives probed Hadley’s vulnerabilities as a witness.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
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
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
-
Meanwhile, the victims were still being intimidated by Epstein’s private investigators.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
Though an exhaustive search was conducted, including an intensive investigation by authorities, private investigators and true-crime enthusiasts, Natalee, who was 18 at the time, was never found.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Shamuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamuses. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
