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 of smuggler

• runner
• courier
• bootlegger
• mule

Examples of smuggler in a Sentence

during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

Recent Examples on the Web

On July 9, 2023, a relative paid at least $1,000 to the organization due to the threats, but prosecutors said the smugglers continued demanding additional payments to multiple accounts before releasing the family. —Sergio Candido, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026

Inspectors roam elaborate tunnels used by tomb raiders and smugglers over different eras. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026

Eastern Libya has become a key launch point for smugglers, undercutting years of EU efforts to curb departures and making Crete a new pressure point. —Lefteris Pitarakis, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026

Eastern Libya has become a key launch point for smugglers, undercutting years of EU efforts to curb departures and making Crete a new pressure point. —ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above