smuggler

as in runner
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 smuggler Conservative border hawks have long blamed Flores for the rise in family migration, pointing out that smugglers often exploit the agreement’s 20-day detention limit for children to secure quick release for entire families. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 23 May 2025 In the Sahara, a smuggler, a paleoanthropologist, and a man on a rescue mission cross paths. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 June 2025 There’s also rumored to be a tunnel in Toot’s basement that smugglers used during Prohibition to get resupplies from the waterfront. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 20 June 2025 Adventure abounds when bird smugglers get involved and bird-nap the two macaws. Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for smuggler
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggler
Noun
  • The Ballon d’Or runner up is under fire for a poor 2024/2025 season which Los Blancos finished without major silverware, plus his sub-par performances at the Club World Cup this summer where Paris Saint-Germain knocked them out via a 4-0 thrashing administered in the semifinals.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • River runners are not to stop at Boat Beach but may continue to Pipe Creek Beach for exchanges.
    Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • Baek uses some local gangsters, posing as regular mail couriers, to distribute the guns.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 25 July 2025
  • As the citizens of the state struggle to seize power back from an autocratic government, the story centers on Jamil, a war zone courier/smuggler, and Zora, a young leader in the Mulholland Resistance, who attempt to escape Occupied Los Angeles, a city under martial law.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • Her mother’s parents, the Pattis (her first name is her mother’s maiden name), were immigrant bootleggers; their sewing room had removable floorboards to hide whiskey.
    Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
  • However, when a bootlegger is seen as simply trying to ride others’ success in a self-serving manner, community support quickly wanes, and job opportunities for the bootlegger can even dry out.
    London School of Economics, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Carrying gear is the job of horses and mules, not people!
    Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 16 July 2025
  • The Bayeux Museum in Normandy indicates that the intricate tapestry features 626 characters, 37 buildings, 41 ships and 202 horses and mules.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Smuggler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggler. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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