shamuses

noun

plural of shamus, slang
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
  1. policemen
  2. detectives
  3. officers
  4. investigators
  5. cops
  6. private detectives
  7. constables
  8. private investigators
Noun
  • My grand plan was to be one of the policemen in one of the episodes.
    — Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 21 June 2026
  • Disgruntled, the policemen stormed out of the house.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Definition of policemen
Noun
  • However, sheriff’s office detectives are investigating the circumstances of his death.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
  • In 2025, a psychic contacted the police department about Sophie’s case and shared information with detectives at no cost, Liening said.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Definition of detectives
Noun
  • The same may be true for military personnel, law enforcement officers, commercial drivers or others who are subject to strict workplace drug-testing programs.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 July 2026
  • For the last three decades, the division has investigated allegations of police misconduct, authority it was granted by Congress after the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Department officers.
    — Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of officers
Noun
  • Since then, investigators have interviewed about 60 witnesses, Ledbetter said, according to the Sun Herald in Mississippi.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, investigators reviewed social media accounts, a website and a billboard in Latin America that advertised maternity packages at South Texas hospitals to foreign nationals.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
Definition of investigators
Noun
  • Torres fell to the ground and the truck rolled over him before coming to a stop, cops said.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 July 2026
  • Some people, however, take more than others, with cops and crooks snagging the lion’s share while ordinary people divvy up the scraps.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 July 2026
Definition of cops
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
Definition of private detectives
Noun
  • The woman was able to flee the scene and located deputy constables.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Definition of constables
Noun
  • Harry and the six other high-profile claimants failed to prove their allegations that the publisher unlawfully obtained private information through methods including private investigators, deception, phone hacking and corrupt payments.
    — Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • Depending on the circumstances, this may include private investigators, attorneys, cybersecurity professionals, exchanges, regulators or law enforcement agencies.
    — Jon Stojan June 23, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
Definition of private investigators
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.

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shamus
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Cite this Entry

“Shamuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamuses. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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