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 of smuggler

• runner
• courier
• bootlegger
• mule

Examples of smuggler in a Sentence

during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

Recent Examples on the Web

The drug smugglers who had hired Rangel told Para that her husband had been killed. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

Hartman said the physical conditions alone can be exhausting before agents ever encounter a smuggler. — Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026

Advertisement Prosecutors alleged that crew members had collaborated with smugglers during three rescue operations conducted between 2016 and 2017. — Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 17 July 2026

As if to prove the point, street prices for cocaine in the United States have plummeted, the opposite of what would be expected if smugglers were being deterred. — Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above