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.
Some have called the city lax for failing to stop shoplifters, cart scofflaws and other signs of crime and deterioration around the full-service Midway grocer, but the St. Paul Police Department reported this week that officers made more than 500 visits to the 1440 University Ave. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 22 July 2025 Prosecutors in, say, Orange and Riverside counties, might be more willing to include prior convictions for shoplifters than those in, say, San Francisco and Alameda counties. Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 July 2025 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 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 22 Aug. 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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