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
Jeremiah TaxIn nearby Nogales smugglers tunnel 6 ft. under the border and funnel people through.—Terry McCarthy
Terry McCarthyOfficials 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
FocusSynonyms of smuggler
Examples of smuggler in a Sentence
during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business
Recent Examples on the Web
Later in the journey the family run afoul of smugglers in Thailand, which leads to an even more desperate situation as the children have to fend for themselves.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2025
Plot details are very hazy, but the word on the street is that the story centers on a ne’er-do-well smuggler who finds himself in the middle of a deadly double-cross while on a job in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in him surrounded by bodies, hostile mercenaries and thirsty sharks alike.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
There, Chinese security officials said the two sides are again exchanging information on how smugglers alter their tactics.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
What Happens Next The border crossings were scheduled to reopen at midday Saturday, according to Ruginiene, who said the country’s National Security Commission would meet next week to discuss how to tackle the smugglers.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
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Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2025
Plot details are very hazy, but the word on the street is that the story centers on a ne’er-do-well smuggler who finds himself in the middle of a deadly double-cross while on a job in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in him surrounded by bodies, hostile mercenaries and thirsty sharks alike.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
There, Chinese security officials said the two sides are again exchanging information on how smugglers alter their tactics.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
What Happens Next The border crossings were scheduled to reopen at midday Saturday, according to Ruginiene, who said the country’s National Security Commission would meet next week to discuss how to tackle the smugglers.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smuggler
Cite this Entry
“Smuggler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smuggler. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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