smuggler

noun

smug·​gler ˈsmə-glər 

plural smugglers

: one who smuggles something

The traffic in drugs—especially cocaine—to Florida by sea and air from South America has been generating wealth to rival that of the tourist trade and attracting a cadre of ingenious and ruthless smugglers from around the world.

—Jeremiah Tax

In nearby Nogales smugglers tunnel 6 ft. under the border and funnel people through.

—Terry McCarthy

Officials in Paraguay raided a wildlife smuggling operation in its capital city, Asunción, on March 25, recovering two critically endangered Brazilian parrots, which Paraguayan smugglers had hoped to sell in West Germany for $40,000.

—Focus

Synonyms

• runner
• courier
• bootlegger
• mule [slang]

Examples of smuggler in a Sentence

during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

Recent Examples on the Web

In the Sahara, a smuggler, a paleoanthropologist, and a man on a rescue mission cross paths. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 June 2025

There’s also rumored to be a tunnel in Toot’s basement that smugglers used during Prohibition to get resupplies from the waterfront. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 20 June 2025

Adventure abounds when bird smugglers get involved and bird-nap the two macaws. —Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025

Their inadequate winter clothes were only what the smugglers provided, the survivor told the jury. —Steve Karnowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above