lawmen

noun

plural of lawman
as in policemen
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

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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 lawmen The lawmen were, well, lawmen—but also bartenders, gamblers, and miners. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Oct. 2026 Now, in a bit of political deja vu, the two lawmen are facing off again for the job of leading the largest sheriff’s department in the country. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 As the lawmen avoided the beam of light and approached the car, the suspects were able to get inside and lock the doors. — Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026 That church would become a topic of scrutiny and sensationalism by regional lawmen and news outlets alike throughout much of 1912. — Lauren Nicole Henley, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2026 Who was this irritant who had eluded the most sophisticated lawmen in the country, thanks to the triviality of his crimes? — David Grann, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025 Cinematic lawmen like Little Bill in Unforgiven and Wyatt Earp in My Darling Clementine—films that inspired Eddington—commanded their towns with a near iron will. — Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025 Kris Kristofferson and Treat Williams as lawmen whose desert discovery leads down a path to information about the Kennedy assassination. — Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025 Kirsh’s shock of white hair and dry, sardonic air give Olyphant refreshing distance from the upright lawmen he’s known for. — Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawmen
  1. policemen
  2. cops
  3. officers
  4. constables
  5. sheriffs
Noun
  • Onlookers and policemen rushed to the balloon’s basket to find the three men lying crumpled on the ground.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • When plans were made for a visit to Japan by President Eisenhower in 1960—it was eventually called off—there weren’t enough policemen to guard his route into Tokyo, so the yakuza were mobilized to help.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of policemen
Noun
  • She was found with fractures to her pelvis and femur, according to cops.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Also well drawn is the relationship between Caitlyn and her longtime fiancé John (Max Minghella), one of Gotham’s few uncorrupt cops who happens to be investigating the string of murders that follow in Matt’s wake.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of cops
Noun
  • Rescue operations were complicated, with police firing tear gas at people who had begun looting neighboring shops, as officers sought to clear the area and provide access to emergency response teams.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The other person, who police believe to be a man, fled the scene before officers arrived, Gonzalez said.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of officers
Noun
  • The woman was able to flee the scene and located deputy constables.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Definition of constables
Noun
  • The author argues that sheriffs should not have independent authority over ballots and election procedures, and calls for the state legislature to clarify sheriff powers by amending the constitution to make sheriffs appointed rather than elected, similar to police chiefs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Those sheriffs were featured in a recent Courier Journal investigation that found that one in six Kentucky counties has had a sheriff criminally charged or convicted since 2010.
    — Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Sep. 2025
Definition of sheriffs

Browse Nearby Words

lawman
lawmen
lawn
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Cite this Entry

“Lawmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawmen. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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