1
as in policeman
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detective
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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of shamus
When the franchise was rejuvenated in 2000 with Samuel L. Jackson starring as the nephew of the famed shamus, Roundtree appeared as his uncle.
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Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard was one in a long line of LA shamuses tripped up by wealth and beauty, from Marlowe and Gittes to Rawlins and Bosch.
—Wired, 1 Nov. 2019
With Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright back at the creative helm (and The Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the writing staff), the season picks up with Veronica (Bell) still working as a shamus in her SoCal hometown of Neptune.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2019
Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard was one in a long line of LA shamuses tripped up by wealth and beauty, from Marlowe and Gittes to Rawlins and Bosch.
—Wired, 1 Nov. 2019
With Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright back at the creative helm (and The Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the writing staff), the season picks up with Veronica (Bell) still working as a shamus in her SoCal hometown of Neptune.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shamus
Noun
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As Aqua returned home, Clint called fellow policeman Ellis Stagger (Richard Armitage) in a frantic hurry, asking him to run an address search for Aqua and send it to him immediately.Yasmin Garaad, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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As the authorities prepared to reopen the hospital and journalists waited, gang opened fire, killing several journalists and a policeman, while wounding others.Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Homicide detectives are investigating deaths at several locations, said Nicole Nishida, communications director for the Sheriff’s Department.Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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But then detectives told him a woman matching his wife’s description was found, dead, along the freeway.Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Having been itching for some neighbors more along their wavelength, cop Danny (Scotsman Sam Heughan trying very hard to disguise his native accent), and yoga instructor Becka (Australian Jessica De Gouw allowed to use her own) waste little time in introducing themselves.Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
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Ex-Minneapolis cop J. Alexander Kueng, convicted of aiding and abetting in the death of George Floyd, is scheduled to be released from federal prison today.Axios Twin Cities, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Specifically, the lawsuit names the Santa Fe District Attorney, a special prosecutor, and three investigators from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
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The 30 Rock star filed a civil lawsuit against prosecutors and investigators from his previous criminal manslaughter trial in Santa Fe on Thursday.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The incident was reported at around 12:35 p.m. local time on Tuesday, officers confirmed in the statement.Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
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The company recently tapped former Amazon executive Peter Hill as its chief technology officer.Ryan Browne, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Bobby Justice, a former constable who previously lived in Pikeville, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in 2018 for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone pills.Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 13 Dec. 2024
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The constable got into the duplex and found a man and woman dead inside.Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near shamus
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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