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
Jeremiah TaxIn nearby Nogales smugglers tunnel 6 ft. under the border and funnel people through.—Terry McCarthy
Terry McCarthyOfficials 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
FocusSynonyms of smuggler
Examples of smuggler in a Sentence
during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business
Recent Examples on the Web
Chow Yun-fat stars as a steely, toothpick-chewing detective who seeks vengeance after gun smugglers kill his partner.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
The Pentagon’s Joint Task Force Southern Border, activated in March of last year, is using autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessels, or USVs, to patrol vast stretches of the Rio Grande to deter drug smugglers.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
The reductions, which reduced the number of entomologists, have emboldened ant smugglers, Wired reported.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for smuggler
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.
Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
The Pentagon’s Joint Task Force Southern Border, activated in March of last year, is using autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessels, or USVs, to patrol vast stretches of the Rio Grande to deter drug smugglers.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
The reductions, which reduced the number of entomologists, have emboldened ant smugglers, Wired reported.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for smuggler
Cite this Entry
“Smuggler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smuggler. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
