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 Haymarket anarchists in Chicago in the eighteen-nineties may not all have been directly responsible for the bombs that killed seven policemen on a fateful day, but at least one of them had certainly built the bombs.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
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When Orsolya knocks on the man’s door with an army of trigger-happy policemen at her back, the bailiff — in her infinite mercy — agrees to give the guy some time to collect his belongings.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Hardy plays Walker, a bruised detective fighting his way through the criminal underworld that is threatening to engulf an entire city.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2025
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Heidenreich has denied involvement in his girlfriend's death, per the AAP, despite admitting that his stepfather — a former Cairns police officer — was friendly with a detective working on the murder case.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Brammall even bridged that continental gap, developing and starring in the Aussie cop sitcom No Activity and its American remake, alongside Tim Meadows and Amy Sedaris.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Feb. 2025
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Risks of ‘a shortage of cops on the beat’ In the initial letter to Fain, the senators said staffing shortages directly contributed to Signature Bank’s failure in March 2023.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Two people who had been shot were found dead inside a Thornton home on Wednesday that investigators believe was intentionally set on fire, police said.—
Katie Langford,
The Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2025
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The film details how investigators believed Baumeister may have filmed his victims with a secret camera hidden in an air vent in his basement.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
Fox News,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Frito-Lay to 7Up maker will end DEI workforce representation goals and transition its chief DEI officer to a broader role looking into associate engagement and leadership development, according to a memo to company associates.—
Ananya Mariam Rajesh,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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In each of the last three years, COPA has recommended more meaningful discipline when officers abuse their power than its predecessors had proposed in the previous four years combined.—
Amber Hunter,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 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 4 Mar. 2025.
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