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
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, deputies were notified that a man was allegedly shoplifting inside the store.
—
Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
The mother was accused of shoplifting after taking her daughter, who was holding an unpaid-for keychain, out of a crowded store to prevent a meltdown.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
New York — The biggest chains in America are using facial recognition technology to try to stop shoplifting.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
The Commissioner and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office attributed the increase in arrests to more reporting and more enforcement, as city and county officials make shoplifting a higher priority.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoplift
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Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
The mother was accused of shoplifting after taking her daughter, who was holding an unpaid-for keychain, out of a crowded store to prevent a meltdown.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
New York — The biggest chains in America are using facial recognition technology to try to stop shoplifting.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
The Commissioner and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office attributed the increase in arrests to more reporting and more enforcement, as city and county officials make shoplifting a higher priority.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 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 28 Jan. 2026.
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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