smuggling 1 of 2

smuggling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of smuggle

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 smuggling
Noun
In the first weeks of the war, the Syrian military sent reinforcements to the border with Lebanon, which officials said aimed to stop cross-border weapons smuggling or any spillover of the conflict. ABC News, 28 June 2026 Video allegedly shows clerk ripping up ballots Randy Stith, former Hempstead Board of Education president, said video and photos show the school district clerk smuggling absentee ballots for the incumbent candidate. Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 26 June 2026 An alleged smuggling ring said to have airdropped drugs, cigarettes, cellphones, weapons and other contraband into 10 federal prisons in the South and Mid-Atlantic was based right here in Macon. Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 25 June 2026 However, Griner missed the entire 2022 season while detained in Russia on drug-smuggling charges. Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 23 June 2026 The group's leader is Geovanni Andrés Ríos who was arrested last year for drug smuggling. John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026 Chip smuggling or diversion could eliminate the bottleneck, which many experts say is a critical national security bulwark. Jared Perlo, NBC news, 18 June 2026 The stereotypes of casting Latinos as criminals on screen persisted, with one in four immigrant characters cast in roles involving drug dealing, smuggling, and human trafficking. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 17 June 2026 The series centers on Shao, a girl from a place called the Alley whose world unravels when her sister Rei goes missing during a relic-smuggling operation in the Garden – a sacred realm accessible only through rare red beans. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 June 2026
Verb
Probation officers and staff members have been charged with smuggling drugs into the facility in the last year. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 Several recent cases linked to smuggling Nvidia’s AI chips into China to circumvent export controls show the appetite for its technology. ABC News, 29 June 2026 In 2023, a then-medical assistant working for Avid Healthcare Services was charged with smuggling meth into the jail. Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026 Just days ago, officials said Indonesian authorities arrested two Russian nationals suspected of smuggling drugs into Bali after a high-speed car chase hit several pedestrians. CBS News, 11 June 2026 Bootleggers smuggling various liquors like whiskey and gin found that the soft drink was particularly good at making these spirits easier to drink. Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026 From 2014 to 2018 alone, prosecutors allege, Ghomi is accused of smuggling more than 250 metric tons of networking equipment into Iran. Sean Emery, Oc Register, 3 June 2026 In June 2025, the Justice Department charged three Chinese citizens who did research at U-M with smuggling biological hazards into the United States. John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 June 2026 While little is known about the nephew at this time, El Chapo is notorious for leading the Sinaloa Cartel and smuggling drugs into the United States. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggling
Noun
  • Recently, though, Disney has begun making moves — including the poaching of Zameczkowski — that suggest its pace of activity in APAC could be quickening.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026
  • The school also runs a cooking basics program that covers mise en place, knife skills, soup and stock production, sauce making and a wide range of cooking methods — roasting, grilling, sautéing, pan-frying, stir-frying, braising, poaching and steaming.
    Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • In 2025, Breyers, Blue Bunny and Turkey Hill were the top-selling brands by dollar sales, Dairy Foods Magazine reported.
    Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Two of Canada’s 10 provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, are still selling American alcoholic beverages.
    Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • For years, stakeholders, including UK soccer channel Sky Sports, England’s Premier League professional soccer league, and the world’s largest European soccer streamer, DAZN, blamed Fire Sticks for a lot of streaming piracy.
    Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026
  • After that, the Memorandum of Understanding invites Iran to commit piracy by charging ships to transit the strait.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • William Saliba — France/Arsenal (position unchanged) Gave up almost nothing to his Arsenal team-mate Gyokeres as France nonchalantly dismissed Sweden, dominating in the air and on the floor while distributing the ball sensibly.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • PlusM is distributing the film in Korea, with Neon handling North American distribution.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • They were filled with protesters — including outraged members of a teachers’ union and relatives of kidnapping victims — as well as fans skeptical of a team that, four years earlier, posted its worst World Cup performance since 1978.
    Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Razia showed up at the scene not to aid in a kidnapping, but to confront her online tormentor, Sacks maintained.
    John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • And the source material for the AI Overviews also appears eminently gameable, even when not trafficking in actual fiction.
    Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 2 July 2026
  • Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department seeking clarification about an apparent discrepancy in its announcement regarding the age of one of the alleged trafficking victims and will update this story if a response is received.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • Robin quickly and viscerally dispatches his foe, before going up against a larger swath of enemies who are targeting his former partner-in-banditry Little John (played by Bill Skarsgård).
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • In the northwest, criminal banditry has taken root in areas where state presence is thin.
    Yusuf Tuggar, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • During the pandemic, the company started supplying medical apparel to hospitals and schools, and the business took off, with revenue doubling in 2020, Beig said.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • The United States remained the world’s largest oil and gas producer in 2025, supplying nearly 21% of global oil production and 26% of global natural gas production.
    Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Smuggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggling. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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