peddler

noun

ped·​dler ˈped-lər 

variants or less commonly pedlar

plural peddlers also pedlars

: someone who peddles: such as

a

: someone who offers merchandise (such as fresh produce) for sale along the street or from door to door

b

: someone who deals in or promotes something intangible (such as a personal asset or an idea)

influence peddlers

commonly confused with pedaler

Synonyms

• hawker
• huckster

Examples of peddler in a Sentence

the peddler on the street corner selling baseball caps

Recent Examples on the Web

Then came the presidential elections of 2016 and 2020, and the pandemic; suddenly cable networks long deemed trustworthy were peddlers of fake news, on the right and the left. —Ulysses Ortega, New York Times, 3 May 2025

But news of the child's death first came to light on Saturday, April 5—in a newsletter published by Robert Malone, an anti-vaccine advocate and peddler of conspiracy theories who came to prominence during the pandemic. —ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025

According to Newman, the dish spread along religious pilgrimages and trade routes, and peddlers would sell it at street markets. —Claire Turrell, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025

More recently, the city tested out pilot programs focused on enforcing existing code laws in order to deter unlicensed peddlers near the SAP Center and the 2024 downtown holiday events. —Devan Patel, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for peddler

• pedlar