as in prohibited
not legally permissible to possess, import, or export
The customs agents searched the shipping containers for contraband items.
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Recent Examples of contraband
The same can be said for using a Pornhub-type site to pass contraband date along.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
The same deficiencies cited in contraband cases in the mid-2010s continue to appear in inspections a decade later.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Their world inside Parchman was defined by regulation of contraband items, the work they were told to do, conflicts with other inmates, and the corruption and neglect of the prison administrators.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Another witness in the trial was locked up in MDC Brooklyn when an inmate handed him a contraband cell phone in January 2024.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contraband
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
The same deficiencies cited in contraband cases in the mid-2010s continue to appear in inspections a decade later.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Their world inside Parchman was defined by regulation of contraband items, the work they were told to do, conflicts with other inmates, and the corruption and neglect of the prison administrators.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Another witness in the trial was locked up in MDC Brooklyn when an inmate handed him a contraband cell phone in January 2024.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contraband
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraband
Adjective
-
There is, however, room for questions about where the line between prohibited and acceptable political involvement will fall in practice.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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The list of prohibited and restricted items, as found on the CBP website, includes alcohol, biological materials, firearms, food and produce such as fruits and vegetables, soil, wildlife, fish, and gold, among other items.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The complaint alleges that Gemini Rosemont violated the loan documents by entering into an unauthorized easement agreement with a neighboring property owner.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
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Bill Day, a Frost Bank spokesman, said the bank does not comment on pending litigation but was recently notified by a third-party vendor of unauthorized access to the vendor’s systems that may have included Frost customer data.—
Patrick Danner,
San Antonio Express-News,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lang calls Atterton, who’s in his prison cell with a smuggled phone, to tell him the job is done and that both Bailey-Brown and Sam have been terminated.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Writs of assistance were open‑ended search warrants granted to British customs officers to search for smuggled goods; they were not limited by time, person, or location, and no probable cause was required.—
Amanda Cats-Baril,
Twin Cities,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Less than an hour’s drive from the holiday markets, on the way to Salla and its forbidden frontier, hundreds of Finnish soldiers are training to repel any future Russian invasion.—
Liam Denning,
Bloomberg,
12 Mar. 2026
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Women, whether secular or religious, remain forbidden to read, write or tell stories.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
At least four federal judges blocked some of those subpoenas as flagrantly illicit overreach.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Some lawmakers and industry groups have raised concerns about personal freedom, enforcement challenges, and the growth of illicit tobacco markets, sparking debate over individual liberty and the role of the state in regulating personal behavior.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraband. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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