smuggle

verb

smug·​gle ˈsmə-gəl How to pronounce smuggle (audio)
smuggled; smuggling ˈsmə-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce smuggle (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to import or export secretly contrary to the law and especially without paying duties imposed by law
2
: to convey or introduce surreptitiously

intransitive verb

: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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

Word History

Etymology

Low German smuggeln & Dutch smokkelen

First Known Use

1687, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smuggle was in 1687

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smuggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smuggle. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

smuggle

verb
smug·​gle ˈsməg-əl How to pronounce smuggle (audio)
smuggled; smuggling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce smuggle (audio)
1
: to export or import secretly and unlawfully especially to avoid paying taxes
smuggle jewels
2
: to take, bring, or introduce secretly
smuggler noun

Legal Definition

smuggle

verb
smug·​gle ˈsmə-gəl How to pronounce smuggle (audio)
smuggled; smuggling

transitive verb

: to import or export secretly and illegally especially to avoid paying duties or to evade enforcement of laws
smuggle drugs
convicted of smuggling weapons

intransitive verb

: to export or import something in violation of customs laws

More from Merriam-Webster on smuggle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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