shoplifter

noun

shop·​lift·​er ˈshäp-ˌlif-tər How to pronounce shoplifter (audio)
: one who shoplifts

Examples of shoplifter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Hong Kong papers also talked for days about the shoplifter in a Dacron suit. Eileen Chang, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 That has become a practice with some independent boutique owners that have been targeted by shoplifters in the past few years. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 May 2025 These are professional shoplifters backed by criminal organizations that plan large-scale thefts and fence the products on the gray market, often selling across state lines or through the internet. Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 2 Apr. 2025 Stores are catching shoplifters only 2% of the time, and police make arrests in one out of 100 incidents. James Fotis, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shoplifter

Word History

First Known Use

1680, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoplifter was in 1680

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Cite this Entry

“Shoplifter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoplifter. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

shoplifter

noun
shop·​lift·​er -ˌlif-tər How to pronounce shoplifter (audio)
: a person who shoplifts

Legal Definition

shoplifter

noun
shop·​lift·​er
: one who shoplifts

More from Merriam-Webster on shoplifter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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