smuggled; smuggling
ˈsmə-g(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to import or export secretly contrary to the law and especially without paying duties imposed by law
2
: to convey or introduce surreptitiously
: to import or export something in violation of the customs laws
Examples of smuggle in a Sentence
He was arrested for smuggling drugs into the country.
They smuggled immigrants across the border.
The paintings had been smuggled out of the country before the war.
We smuggled his favorite sandwich past the nurse.
Recent Examples on the Web
This incident follows a similar one earlier this year where a man attempted to smuggle a turtle in his pants at Newark Liberty International Airport.
—
Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 26 July 2025
Furthermore, each product will be tracked from production or import all the way to patient use through a centralized tracking system designed to block counterfeit, smuggled, or unauthorized products from entering the legal market.
—Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
There is no suggestion that Supermicro is involved in or has knowledge of its products being smuggled into China.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
Local Iranian residents have smuggled the satellite internet hardware into the country, with one group estimating that Iran has over 100,000 Starlink users.
—PC Magazine, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smuggle
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Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 26 July 2025
Furthermore, each product will be tracked from production or import all the way to patient use through a centralized tracking system designed to block counterfeit, smuggled, or unauthorized products from entering the legal market.
—Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
There is no suggestion that Supermicro is involved in or has knowledge of its products being smuggled into China.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
Local Iranian residents have smuggled the satellite internet hardware into the country, with one group estimating that Iran has over 100,000 Starlink users.
—PC Magazine, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smuggle
Cite this Entry
“Smuggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smuggle. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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Legal Definition
smuggle
verb
smug·gle
ˈsmə-gəl
smuggled; smuggling
: to import or export secretly and illegally especially to avoid paying duties or to evade enforcement of laws
smuggle drugs
convicted of smuggling weapons
: to export or import something in violation of customs laws
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