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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The three main protagonists are a celebrated actress, her wealthy businessman husband who is kidnapped and a policeman who was the woman’s friend in earlier years but who has become estranged.Patrick Frater, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
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In photos: Flash flooding devastates parts of Spain 1 of 32 The father of one of those who died in the parking garage, a local policeman, told Spain’s El Mundo newspaper that residents had rushed to move their cars, but the water rose faster than people were expecting, trapping them.Lauren Kent, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In 2010, cold case detectives recovered additional items and sent them for DNA testing, leading to the DNA profile of a male suspect.Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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Police said no suspects were in custody and that area detectives were investigating the shooting.Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The color should be much colder and bluer for the cop show and warmer for Willis.Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
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His guests have included everyone from comedians Shane Gillis and Nikki Glaser to non-celebrities such as a mall cop and school lunch lady.Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The lieutenant also said investigators have taken statements from the dozens of witnesses who were in the area, and are also gathering video surveillance.NBC San Diego, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Mike Morgan, director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, said Thursday that investigators were leaning toward ruling the start of the fire as human-caused.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The city of Uvalde on Tuesday released an additional collection of videos and investigative materials showing law enforcement officers' flawed response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in May 2022, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
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An officer pointed a gun at the second man and ordered him to lie on the ground on his stomach with his hands behind his back, body camera footage showed.Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Each court has one justice of the peace and one constable.Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
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Then the constable arrested two township employees.Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near shamus
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shamus. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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