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 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
Carr's office cited several Georgia cases, including one in Tattnall County where an incarcerated gang leader used a contraband phone to order a hit that killed an 88-year-old veteran.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contraband
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
Carr's office cited several Georgia cases, including one in Tattnall County where an incarcerated gang leader used a contraband phone to order a hit that killed an 88-year-old veteran.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 8 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
-
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
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Knowing that any unauthorized demonstrations are harshly suppressed, activists have tried to organize authorized rallies, plastered posters on walls and notice boards, and filed lawsuits.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Registration on the Principal Register provides nationwide constructive notice, a legal presumption of ownership, and the right to use the ® symbol — tools that matter when knockoffs and unauthorized merchandise inevitably appear.—
PJ Green
April 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 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
-
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
-
Women, whether secular or religious, remain forbidden to read, write or tell stories.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Together, experts paint a picture of a sector where formal investment risks intersecting with criminal governance, armed violence and illicit supply chains.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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This aroused suspicion and eventually led to searches of Kamnik’s phone, computer, and external hard drive, which revealed a massive trove of illicit material.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraband. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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