shoplift
verb
shop·lift
ˈshäp-ˌlift 
shoplifted; shoplifting; shoplifts
: to steal displayed goods from a store
: to steal (displayed goods) from a store
Examples of shoplift in a Sentence
The manager saw the kids shoplift and called the police.
The kids shoplifted candy from the store.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brooklyn’s Lo Life crew, for example, was known for shoplifting Ralph Lauren in the Eighties as a means of protest.
—
Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2025
In January 2024, he was arrested at a Walmart in the Chicago suburbs for shoplifting about $1,000 worth of food, laundry detergent, shampoo and other items.
—Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
Cox said roughly 20% of people arrested for shoplifting over the past five years were repeat offenders.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
And the National Retail Federation in a December 2024 report said retailers were reporting a 93% increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2023 versus 2019 and a 90% increase in dollar loss due to shoplifting over the same time period.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoplift
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Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2025
In January 2024, he was arrested at a Walmart in the Chicago suburbs for shoplifting about $1,000 worth of food, laundry detergent, shampoo and other items.
—Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
Cox said roughly 20% of people arrested for shoplifting over the past five years were repeat offenders.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
And the National Retail Federation in a December 2024 report said retailers were reporting a 93% increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2023 versus 2019 and a 90% increase in dollar loss due to shoplifting over the same time period.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoplift
Cite this Entry
“Shoplift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoplift. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shoplift
verb
shop·lift
-ˌlift
: to steal merchandise on display in stores
Legal Definition
shoplift
intransitive verb
shop·lift
ˈshäp-ˌlift
: to steal displayed goods from a store
: to steal (displayed goods) from a store
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