smuggled; smuggling
ˈsmə-g(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to import or export secretly contrary to the law and especially without paying duties imposed by law
2
: to convey or introduce surreptitiously
: to import or export something in violation of the customs laws
Examples of smuggle in a Sentence
He was arrested for smuggling drugs into the country.
They smuggled immigrants across the border.
The paintings had been smuggled out of the country before the war.
We smuggled his favorite sandwich past the nurse.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Justice Department indicted him in May on two counts of conspiring to smuggle and transport migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Ecuador into the U.S.
—
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 25 June 2025
To save the family, son Cane (Jake Weary) decides to start using the family’s fishing boat to smuggle drugs.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 21 June 2025
That lifelong partnership was born aboard a cruise ship in 1959; Fischbacher was a steward and a part-time magician on the Bremen, while Roy Horn, an animal lover who would later smuggle a cheetah on board for a magic act, worked as a bellboy.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 20 June 2025
The series is inspired by Williamson’s father, who was a fisherman and began smuggling drugs in the 1980s to make ends meet.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for smuggle
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Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 25 June 2025
To save the family, son Cane (Jake Weary) decides to start using the family’s fishing boat to smuggle drugs.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 21 June 2025
That lifelong partnership was born aboard a cruise ship in 1959; Fischbacher was a steward and a part-time magician on the Bremen, while Roy Horn, an animal lover who would later smuggle a cheetah on board for a magic act, worked as a bellboy.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 20 June 2025
The series is inspired by Williamson’s father, who was a fisherman and began smuggling drugs in the 1980s to make ends meet.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for smuggle
Cite this Entry
“Smuggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smuggle. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
smuggle
verb
smug·gle
ˈsmə-gəl
smuggled; smuggling
: to import or export secretly and illegally especially to avoid paying duties or to evade enforcement of laws
smuggle drugs
convicted of smuggling weapons
: to export or import something in violation of customs laws
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