smuggler

noun

smug·​gler ˈsmə-glər How to pronounce smuggler (audio)
plural smugglers
: 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.
That rhetoric has only amplified with Abrego Garcia’s criminal indictment in Tennessee, where federal prosecutors have called him not only a member, but a ringleader in the gang and a prolific human smuggler. Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025 With the support of villagers and a French smuggler, Grau embarks on a dangerous mission that jeopardizes his own life and that of his family, while reigniting wounds from the still-recent Spanish Civil War. Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025 In 2004, Yu entered Arizona at 18 using a human smuggler in Mexico to flee China while pregnant with a baby girl. Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 5 Sep. 2025 In this case, the smugglers are accused of providing false information to the freight forwarder, causing false manifests with Customs and Border Protection. Christina Hall, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2025.

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