as in poaching
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as in selling
to move (people or goods) from one country to another secretly and illegally
They were arrested for smuggling drugs across the border.
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Recent Examples of smuggling
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Taxstone, real name Daryl Campbell, was the mastermind of the June 30, 2024, smuggling scheme.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Workers suspected of smuggling often resigned without facing charges, records showed.
—Laura A. Bischoff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Mar. 2026
While Iran is not known to have any interests in Uganda, it has been accused of covert operations in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, including the running of smuggling networks and making controversial diplomatic and economic outreach with questionable motives throughout the region.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Arizona’s border crossings with Mexico are among the largest fentanyl smuggling points in the country, with fentanyl traffic dominated by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
—Kaitlin Coward, Boston Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Ecuador has become a major smuggling route to the United States.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Reports from the Department of Justice have documented problems with violence, weapons smuggling and frequent confinement.
—María Santana, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that would curtail DHS investigations into child trafficking and drug smuggling.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The facility was allegedly operated by a Chinese national involved in smuggling counterfeit COVID tests while receiving millions in unexplained payments from China.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But court records and the company’s own disclosures show that the latest allegations of smuggling to a restricted market show striking similarities to a 20-year-old enforcement action also involving Supermicro.
—Matthew Heimer, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
During the past few years, the Houthis have become less reliant on Iran for weapons, smuggling in drone components from Chinese companies and small arms from the Horn of Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
The sixth pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of smuggling ballistic vests to the Colombian commandos hired by Intriago’s company, Counter Terrorist Unit Security, to execute the hit job, according to court records.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
In the film, a widow named Claire (Minnelli) gets involved in smuggling alcohol with her lover, Walker (Reynolds), and his friend, Kibby (Hackman).
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Aaliyah Lyles, a former commissary employee at the Tarrant County Jail, was arrested and charged with smuggling drugs into the facility around the time of Wormley’s death, the Star-Telegram previously reported.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
New York woman Stacey Medina Guzman, 24, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly smuggling 12 bricks of cocaine in duty-free alcohol boxes on a commercial flight from the Dominican Republic to Boston Logan International Airport.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
The border between Iran and northern Iraq's Kurdish region has long been porous, alive with family ties, trade and smuggling.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Taxstone, real name Daryl Campbell, was the mastermind of the June 30, 2024, smuggling scheme.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Workers suspected of smuggling often resigned without facing charges, records showed.
—Laura A. Bischoff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Mar. 2026
While Iran is not known to have any interests in Uganda, it has been accused of covert operations in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, including the running of smuggling networks and making controversial diplomatic and economic outreach with questionable motives throughout the region.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Arizona’s border crossings with Mexico are among the largest fentanyl smuggling points in the country, with fentanyl traffic dominated by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
—Kaitlin Coward, Boston Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Ecuador has become a major smuggling route to the United States.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Reports from the Department of Justice have documented problems with violence, weapons smuggling and frequent confinement.
—María Santana, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that would curtail DHS investigations into child trafficking and drug smuggling.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
The 56-year-old Chinese national, Stanley Yi Zheng, allegedly began conspiring with Americans Matthew Kelly and Tommy Shad English about smuggling the chips to China in May 2023.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The facility was allegedly operated by a Chinese national involved in smuggling counterfeit COVID tests while receiving millions in unexplained payments from China.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But court records and the company’s own disclosures show that the latest allegations of smuggling to a restricted market show striking similarities to a 20-year-old enforcement action also involving Supermicro.
—Matthew Heimer, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
During the past few years, the Houthis have become less reliant on Iran for weapons, smuggling in drone components from Chinese companies and small arms from the Horn of Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
The sixth pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of smuggling ballistic vests to the Colombian commandos hired by Intriago’s company, Counter Terrorist Unit Security, to execute the hit job, according to court records.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
In the film, a widow named Claire (Minnelli) gets involved in smuggling alcohol with her lover, Walker (Reynolds), and his friend, Kibby (Hackman).
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Aaliyah Lyles, a former commissary employee at the Tarrant County Jail, was arrested and charged with smuggling drugs into the facility around the time of Wormley’s death, the Star-Telegram previously reported.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
New York woman Stacey Medina Guzman, 24, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly smuggling 12 bricks of cocaine in duty-free alcohol boxes on a commercial flight from the Dominican Republic to Boston Logan International Airport.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggling
Noun
-
This research can enable highly functional, autonomous, tiny aerial robots for critical humanitarian applications, such as search and rescue, combating poaching and cave exploration.—
Nitin Sanket,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
-
For wildlife-rich areas, a night tourism presence can also help prevent poaching.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The act of selling birds in stacks of cages – sometimes far taller than the men who carry them – goes back generations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The teardown included jettisoning some of Yahoo’s advertising technology, selling publishers such as TechCrunch and Rivals and closing down AOL’s internet dial-up service in a move that cut off its final 500 users.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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While women pirates weren’t exactly a dime a dozen even during the height of piracy, there were a surprising number of fearless females who plied the seven seas.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Strait of Malacca, a narrow passage linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, is the largest chokepoint in the world in terms of maritime oil transport and is known for piracy and robbery.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Exclusive venue contracts also reinforced its role in distributing tickets for major tours.—
byDoug Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Jackson’s estate is not just collecting his assets and then distributing them.—
Naomi Cahn,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the most recent kidnapping, officers described the suspect as a 40-year-old man.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Reports indicate that the possibility of an internet outage the night of the kidnapping was also looked into.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The change in eligibility requirements comes from federal policy updates barring certain asylees, refugees, parolees, individuals with deportation or removal withheld, conditional entrants and victims of trafficking from accessing Cal Fresh, according to the Department of Public Social Services.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Packages with Coca-Cola stickers Police arrested the man on a felony charge of trafficking in cocaine, Pitt County Detention Center records showed.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the northwest, criminal banditry has taken root in areas where state presence is thin.—
Yusuf Tuggar,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
In parts of the country, violent attacks, kidnappings and banditry shadow daily life.—
Vanessa Offiong,
CNN Money,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
From the anti-Trump side, meanwhile, the American people hear a nervous rustling of vague doubts.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
-
In the teaser, above, Joanna, 47, can be seen speaking on-camera discussing the plans for the construction of the home on the balcony before a rustling can be heard coming from the woods behind her.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
27 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smuggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggling. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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