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 smugglers are no help, Kung says, since the person arrested may be the third or fourth person to handle the creature and would have no idea of the point of origin. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

There’s also former cop Sam Stelfreeze (Michael Chernus) in the mix, and among others the slimy ralien smuggler Vanzine Kaluta (Kathryn Hunter). — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026

Such go-fast boats were designed for offshore racing but were later commandeered by drug smugglers in South Florida during the 1980s. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

All the passengers were migrants who paid smugglers to take them from the Bahamas to South Florida, Homeland Security Investigations agents said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above