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.
The reductions, which reduced the number of entomologists, have emboldened ant smugglers, Wired reported. Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2026 That case charged a handful of Florida defendants with stealing more than 600 outboard boat engines and vessels from the Tampa area and shipping them to the migrant smugglers in the Quintana Roo area. Jay Weaver may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026 After his handler is assassinated, a smuggler makes a run for his life with his baby daughter, leaving his wife at the mercy of his militia. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 May 2026 Greg Thomas, chief executive of ChainSentry, a firm that conducts gray-market surveillance of semiconductor supply chains, said export controls have created an artificial scarcity that has made advanced chips almost irresistible to smugglers. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 May 2026 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 21 May. 2026.

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