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.
Meanwhile, smugglers and bad actors are perpetually advancing their methods for disguising illicit goods, unsafe products and narcotics. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 8 Apr. 2025 The proposal, formally known as ‘Preventing and countering the facilitation of unauthorized entry, transit and stay in the EU’ is nominally designed to modernize Europe’s legal framework to crack down on people smugglers and other vendors who ‘profit’ from irregular migration. Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 Border Patrol officials said the most common vessels used by smugglers include pangas, pleasure watercraft and even jet skis. Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2025 The popular social media platform TikTok has removed a hashtag from its search engine after cartel members were caught using it to highlight their crimes and recruit human smugglers. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 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 21 Apr. 2025.

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