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

That’s a daunting task for smaller institutions like university research labs or think tanks that lack the resources to track down seed smugglers and prove their case. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Gradually, his uncle, who had serious health issues that cost him his job, made his way to Aurora with the help of smugglers, soon followed by 17-year-old Juan Angel and eventually the rest of the family. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

His warning to smugglers operating beyond America’s borders was blunt. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

The smugglers were two brothers who had previously been charged with methamphetamine trafficking in the Northern California town of Yreka in 2017. — Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above