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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example 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.
—
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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Since Duterte left office in 2022, only eight policemen had been convicted for five of the victims killed in the war on drugs, according to court documents.—
Zahid Mahmood,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025
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The Observatory gave the death toll on both sides, while an anonymous local Damascus official only gave the numbers of policemen killed.—
Compiled by Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports,
arkansasonline.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2025
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One of the men involved in the shooting was also struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital, where he was interviewed by detectives.—
Julia Bonavita,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Police are searching for a crook who pilfered an elderly woman’s purse from her pew at a church in Brooklyn, cops said Friday.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
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Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Wednesday that the escalating gang crisis in Haiti has reached a point that demands a rapid increase in the number of cops and equipment for the Haiti National Police to battle gangs that are on the verge of taking over the capital.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The government's own investigators have repeatedly found serious problems in immigration detention centers around the country.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA TODAY,
23 Mar. 2025
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In a missing persons poster provided by the sheriff's office, investigators wrote that the family had rented a 2024 white BMW with California license plate number 9KHN768.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Chamberlain said only law enforcement officers testifying or those there on official capacity, like courtroom security, could wear uniforms.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2025
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Arriving officers found one man outside who had called 911 to report the shooting, police said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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On Friday, as residents gathered at the Bilal mosque for afternoon prayers, several constables, sheriff’s deputies and private security guards stood watch.—
Edgar Sandoval,
New York Times,
4 Jan. 2025
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The budget also covers the Health Department, sheriff's office, circuit court divisions, prosecuting attorney, coroner, constables, Office of Emergency Management, museum, Veterans Services and Cooperative Extension.—
Eplunus Colvin,
arkansasonline.com,
3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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