smuggler

noun

smug·​gler ˈsmə-glər 

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

Synonyms

• bootlegger
• contrabandist
• courier
• runner

Examples of smuggler in a Sentence

during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

Recent Examples on the Web

Once in Tijuana, the smugglers led him and his group to a hole in the border fence. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024

The administration said Nicaragua is selling visas upon arrival at their airports to migrants that require them to leave the country within 96 hours, providing smugglers with an opportunity to transport migrants closer to the U.S.-Mexico border. —Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 15 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above