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 point of view belongs to a group of inmate activists, who document abuses on contraband cellphones.
—
Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Using contraband phones, those men were able to document some of the horrors of their lives behind bars and to share them with the filmmakers.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025
Federal authorities arrested four men for shipping contraband Nvidia chips, which are critical components for artificial intelligence companies.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2025
To combat the proliferation of drugs, the state reportedly began shipping inmates farther from their home counties before the pandemic, farther from the friends and family that officials said bore some blame for contraband entering prisons.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraband
Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Using contraband phones, those men were able to document some of the horrors of their lives behind bars and to share them with the filmmakers.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025
Federal authorities arrested four men for shipping contraband Nvidia chips, which are critical components for artificial intelligence companies.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2025
To combat the proliferation of drugs, the state reportedly began shipping inmates farther from their home counties before the pandemic, farther from the friends and family that officials said bore some blame for contraband entering prisons.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraband
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraband
Adjective
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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
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Drivers cruising on Kansas City’s Main Street will need to steer clear of the new transit-only lanes or face a fine, as the city puts the brakes on unauthorized cars in streetcar and bus lanes.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
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Federal law also bars unauthorized immigrants from owning firearms — a rule that withstood a recent challenge in federal court.—
Paul Kiefer,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The smuggled fungus, Fusarium graminearum, can cause billions in crop losses and is harmful to humans and livestock.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
13 Nov. 2025
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Laboratory tests of smuggled samples taken from late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny show that he was poisoned when he was imprisoned in a Siberian penal colony, his widow Yulia Navalnaya has said.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One of Japan’s most beloved television personalities — and a perennial favorite-host winner — Matsuko brings her sharp insight and commanding presence to a forbidden auction staged in a mysterious underground space.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
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Waiting was something forbidden.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In a separate January operation, the FBI Milwaukee Area Safe Streets Task Force executed five residential search warrants and arrested four Latin Kings members for drug trafficking and firearm possession charges, while seizing 10 firearms and more than $120,000 in illicit funds.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraband. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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