lawman

noun

ˈlȯ-mən How to pronounce lawman (audio)
Definition of lawmannext
as in policeman
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level as the rural county's chief lawman, the sheriff has to patrol a vast area with only minimal manpower

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lawman The moral decay of Karensville might as well be Charlottesville and the epithet-spewing McLeoud behaves too much like myriad red-state lawmen for comfort. — Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 The statue should be of shortstop Corey Seager’s game-tying home run from the 2023 World Series rather than a lawman from a state government agency that is outdated, and should be closed. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026 Maul and Devon's relationship is an entertaining tug-of-war; Lawson is a caf-loving lawman best described as well-meaning, but out of his element; and the inevitable arrival of Imperial forces (including two Inquisitors) quickly threatens disaster for both sides. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026 Meanwhile, a lynch mob formed by the notorious Lake County lawman, Sheriff Willis McCall, shot Thomas, 26, hundreds of times and killed him in a Panhandle encounter, as Thomas tried to flee the state days after Padgett’s accusations. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for lawman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawman
  1. policeman
  2. cop
  3. officer
  4. constable
  5. sheriff
Noun
  • My father came from a large family from Corfu and had served as a policeman in Lefkada.
    — Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Yesterday, the Sun asked this question of a wide variety of people – an auxiliary policeman, a protest marcher, a steelworker, a politician, a barber, a bridegroom, a bootblack and others.
    — Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2026
Definition of policeman
Noun
  • Robert Karroll was shot in his ballistic vest by an 18-year-old gunman who approached the officer’s unmarked vehicle in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, cops said.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The cops posted outside of the nearby Swarovski and PINK stores are similarly unwilling to entertain my interrogations.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 July 2026
Definition of cop
Noun
  • His behavior under stress is dangerous to his officers and crew, and his authority is questioned.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • Some relief workers are using donkeys and bulldozers to remove solid waste, according to Louise Wateridge, a communications officer for the UN’s children’s agency in the Middle East and North Africa.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of officer
Noun
  • Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
  • Denise Paul Hatch, a former Center Township constable, is appealing her 2024 felony conviction for official misconduct.
    — Robert Yoon, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Definition of constable
Noun
  • He was not arrested, which the sheriff’s Office said is typical for such misdemeanor offenses.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
  • Teri handled higher-value finds and saw that potentially dangerous items – like firearms and knives – got to the local sheriff’s office.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of sheriff

Browse Nearby Words

lawmakers
lawman
lawmen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lawman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawman. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lawman

Nglish: Translation of lawman for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All