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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The cars slid backward and would have dropped through the opening made by the raising to the abutment of the bridge if policemen had not attracted the attention of the bridge tender by firing their revolvers.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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On the night of Oct. 6, 2016, Kardashian was by herself in her room at the No Address Hotel in Paris when five men dressed as policemen broke in, tied up her feet and hands and gagged her before putting her in a bathtub.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Sacramento County sheriff’s detectives are searching for a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a man Sunday night outside a pub in Fair Oaks.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2025
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The woman showed detectives her call history and a text thread with Stumph, confirming her statement, court records said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Plaza plays a cop who Qualley has a passionate love affair with until things turn sour.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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Here, cops can decompress after a stressful event or take a brief time-out during a draining shift.—
Katja Ridderbusch,
NPR,
26 May 2025
Noun
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On Wednesday, an investigator spied a suspicious drone over the detention center shortly before 3 a.m. and tracked it to a landing spot on top of an SUV parked just down the road.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2025
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Eliott Simpson, senior aviation accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the plane departed from Teterboro, New Jersey, at about 11:15 p.m. on May 21 and flew to Wichita, Kansas.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Noun
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The person’s name was not made public, but he was identified as the ship’s second officer.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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Occupations Spanberger worked on narcotics and money laundering cases as a federal law enforcement officer in the Postal Inspection Service and then at the CIA as a case officer.—
Morgan Kromer,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Law enforcement agencies would have to create department files on any employee holding a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement license, which includes police, sheriff’s deputies, constables, corrections officers and others.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2025
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The Center Township constable's office has made headlines in recent years because of scandals surrounding former constable Denise Hatch.—
Noe Padilla,
The Indianapolis Star,
15 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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