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
Bustamante-Leiva is a reported career criminal whose rap sheet also includes a 2021 shoplifting arrest in Utah and a huge bust in London in 2015, where he was arrested for a months-long theft spree and charged with swiping $28,000 in phones, wallets, and computers, according to the Post.
—
Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
The rise echoes a more general trend in England and Wales, where robberies were up 4 percent and shoplifting up almost a quarter in the 12 months to September last year, though household burglaries fell.
—Stephen Castle, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
According to the National Retail Federation, shoplifting incidents have risen 93% since the pre-Covid period.
—Freddy Kuo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a Half Moon Bay Safeway near Main Street and North Cabrillo Highway at about 3 a.m. Saturday on reports of two suspects allegedly shoplifting from the grocery store.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoplift
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Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
The rise echoes a more general trend in England and Wales, where robberies were up 4 percent and shoplifting up almost a quarter in the 12 months to September last year, though household burglaries fell.
—Stephen Castle, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
According to the National Retail Federation, shoplifting incidents have risen 93% since the pre-Covid period.
—Freddy Kuo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a Half Moon Bay Safeway near Main Street and North Cabrillo Highway at about 3 a.m. Saturday on reports of two suspects allegedly shoplifting from the grocery store.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 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 May. 2025.
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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