as in prohibited
not legally permissible to possess, import, or export
The customs agents searched the shipping containers for contraband items.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraband
Adjective
-
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 -
For example, Customs and Border Protection in the United States maintains a list of prohibited and restricted items for anyone entering the US and links to other departments if permits are required.—
Erica Kasper,
WIRED,
21 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
These unsanctioned deployments can lead to data leakage, unauthorized access and compliance violations—problems that traditional security frameworks are not fully equipped to handle.—
Sameer Malhotra,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
From Washington to Newark, recent aviation mishaps are prompting Congress to scrutinize safety protocols, revealing a pattern of miscommunication, unauthorized flights, and technical failures.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Her investigation reveals forbidden rituals and buried wartime secrets connected to a sealed cave, with supernatural forces closing in around her.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 May 2025
-
Here’s the synopsis: The story of Dorrigo Evans, an army surgeon whose short but forbidden affair with his uncle's wife sustains and haunts him through his darkest days in a Thai-Burmese prisoner of war camp in WWII.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Without effective safeguards in place, there are considerable risks to all businesses along alcohol supply chains of becoming implicated in illicit trading.—
Mark Littler,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
Robert Holden, a Queens City Council member that represents the area, shared a video on X during the 2024 raid that showed a sheriff’s deputy flipping a switch that changed the counter display glass from frosted to clear, revealing shelves of illicit weed products.—
Ashley Southall,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraband. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share