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
-
Body camera footage from the officers who responded to the call show the 55-year-old advancing toward multiple policemen in the street with a knife in his hand.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026 -
The stunned policemen opened the door.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stacey Wondra told the detectives that after placing Michael in the duffel bag, the group drove him to a house in Kuna and put him in a spare room, the affidavit said.—
Alex Brizee
March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
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The lawsuit further alleges detectives withheld hundreds of pages of investigative reports, witness statements and materials from a parallel investigation into Dvorsky’s death that could have allowed Puckett’s attorneys to argue someone else committed the crime.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The partial government shutdown has meant that TSA officers are working but without regular paychecks.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Authorities said Balat dropped the second device on the west side of East End Avenue, between East 86th and East 87th streets, before officers took Balat and Nikk into custody.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to investigators, Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, began driving away in a pickup truck on North Gate Drive when Hughes tripped and fell into the road, where he was struck by the vehicle.—
CBS News Atlanta Staff,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Tisch added that investigators are continuing to analyze a second device.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An investigation is underway, cops said.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The cops walked into the home through an open garage and found the mother and son suffering from gunshot wounds in two different parts of the house, according to court records.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The recipients spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private detectives and expert analysis.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The publisher has argued that evidence from private detectives can't be trusted.—
Ramy Inocencio,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Agencies assisting included Tarrant County constables, police departments from Fort Worth and Forest Hill, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the novel, Spade and partner Miles Archer are private investigators who accept a case from a woman hoping to find her sister, who ran off with a mysterious man.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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Once upon a time, there was a TV show about three little girls who went to the police academy and then became private investigators.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shamuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamuses. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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