smuggler

noun

smug·​gler ˈsmə-glər How to pronounce smuggler (audio)
plural smugglers
Synonyms of smugglernext
: one who smuggles something
The traffic in drugs—especially cocaine—to Florida by sea and air from South America has been generating wealth to rival that of the tourist trade and attracting a cadre of ingenious and ruthless smugglers from around the world.Jeremiah Tax
In nearby Nogales smugglers tunnel 6 ft. under the border and funnel people through.Terry McCarthy
Officials in Paraguay raided a wildlife smuggling operation in its capital city, Asunción, on March 25, recovering two critically endangered Brazilian parrots, which Paraguayan smugglers had hoped to sell in West Germany for $40,000.Focus

Examples of smuggler in a Sentence

during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adama Sane, 24, once dreamed of reaching Europe but didn’t have money to pay smugglers. Mark Banchereau, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025 Smugglers guide draft evaders out of Ukraine For those who can afford it, paying a smuggler can be tempting. Clarissa Ward, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025 Magicians, smugglers and loads of adventure — fans of fantasy and historical fiction will gobble it up. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025 Chief Justice David Brearley, who would later serve as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, explained that even alleged smugglers aiding the British in the nation’s darkest hour, with independence hanging in the balance, deserved the dignity of 12 jurors. Time, 17 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for smuggler

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of smuggler was in 1661

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Cite this Entry

“Smuggler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smuggler. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

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