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 body camera footage shows the interaction between two policemen and the 17-year-old who later died.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
3 June 2025
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His mood wavers between disgust and disdain, and his people skills were not improved by nearly dying in an ambush that left one policeman dead and Morck’s partner, Detective Sergeant Hardy (Jamie Sives), in a wheelchair.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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And Natasha Lyonne, who plays amateur detective Charlie Cale, wears almost as many hats: actress, director, writer and producer.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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Jamie McBride is an LAPD detective with 35 years of experience on the force.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2025
Noun
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The crook ripped the chain from the boy’s neck and kept going, speeding off north on Marion Ave., cops said.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
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And seriously, when the cops are agreeing there’s no riot — there is no riot.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Few people, other than the investigators, had been inside the Pulse building before this past week.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2025
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Middle Street and Lake Avenue were closed for several hours while investigators were at the scene.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Another woman was arrested after allegedly assaulting an officer, too.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
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Immigration officers in March raided a metal business in unincorporated El Cajon that contracts with the federal government.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2025
Noun
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The constable threw her convulsing body over the back of a horse and carted her to county lines.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
13 May 2025
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The victim went back to the police six months later, and local detective constable, Mike Smith, led an investigation into what exactly occurred.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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