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
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State media reported the executions of protesters Saleh Mohammadi, Saeed Davodi and Mehdi Ghasemi who were accused of participating in the murders of two policemen during protests in Qom on 8 January 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026 -
The prosecutors described a pyramid of murder and impunity with Duterte at the apex, police and civilian officials in the middle, and low-level policemen, police assets, and hit men at the bottom.—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Two people were taken into custody shortly after the shooting and were still being questioned by Belmont area detectives late Wednesday, according to a police spokesperson.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Co-workers told detectives that Chino shows up at neighborhood projects from time to time looking to do construction jobs for some money, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Travelers said the long lines have been frustrating and are looking forward to TSA officers getting paid again.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Inside were the officers’ first assignments.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Payments will be based on severity and duration of the abuse, the level of cooperation with investigators and other factors, records show.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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Quinn says investigators questioned his story.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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My friend Thai, whose parents were part of the Weather Underground leadership, remembers his father, Jeff Jones, coming home one day to find their family’s Hoboken apartment surrounded by cops—a fire inspector had spotted his tiny crop of marijuana plants on the fire escape.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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The city is also on the hook to hire 4,000 cops after voters changed the city’s charter in 2024.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Richard Bronswijk, who heads the Dutch police art crime unit, says he's seen private detectives create problems when money is the driver.—
Rebecca Rosman,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2026
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The untitled half-hour project is a workplace comedy set in the world of private detectives, which continues the proud tradition of Los Angeles private eyes that began with Philip Marlowe and will end with this show.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Jane Levy is the latest addition to the cast of Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici’s NBC comedy pilot about private investigators.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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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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Cite this Entry
“Shamuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamuses. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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