contraband

adjective

Definition of contrabandnext
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of contraband Prior contraband attempts involved the launch of a drone from the dead end of Noe Street, just east of the facility, deputies said. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Faced with this churn – as well as staffing, security and contraband-control concerns – many jails invest little in family visitation. — Jillian Turanovic, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026 Mexican authorities have seized millions of gallons of contraband fuel in scores of railroad cars near the border with Texas. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 He was sentenced 20 years for the contraband conviction and six months for the assault and battery, all to be served concurrently. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 The contraband sale of oil and gasoline has become a multibillion-dollar business in Mexico, with the government accusing crime groups of working hand-in-glove with corrupt officials and businesses. — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 The indictment also charges four current and former federal inmates accused of coordinating drops using contraband cellphones. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2026 The Australian government announced a recent contraband haul that would make most peoples' skin crawl. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 7 June 2026 That encounter led to The Alabama Solution, a documentary that uses footage shot on contraband cell phones to expose allegedly inhumane conditions inside Alabama's prison system. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraband
  1. unauthorized
  2. smuggled
  3. forbidden
  4. illicit
Adjective
  • Residents have also voiced concerns about unauthorized people in other parts of the building.
    — Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Whatever the judge ultimately decides, the case will continue on copyright claims involving allegedly unauthorized samples of sound recordings owned by the plaintiffs.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unauthorized
Adjective
  • The smuggled animals, which were imported from both Hong Kong and Mexico without permits, included Mexican beaded lizards, Mexican box turtles and Yucatan box turtles and baby crocodiles, prosecutors said.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 31 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of smuggled
Adjective
  • To control the dangerous unfettered use of magic, an oversight council established ground rules on what is considered forbidden magic and the knowledge of its existence.
    — Kalai Chik, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Last November, both TMZ and CBS News reported alleged infractions, including being caught with homemade alcohol and trying to make a forbidden three-way phone call.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, VIBE.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of forbidden
Adjective
  • This ongoing challenge raises significant questions about the control of programmable dollars and the effectiveness of stablecoin freezes in combating illicit finance, which increasingly relies on these digital assets.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • For example, libertarians generally argue that owning guns, using illicit drugs and refusing vaccinations are individual rights that must be protected from the harm of infringement via regulation.
    — Jen Cole Wright, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of illicit

Browse Nearby Words

contra
contraband
contrabandist
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Cite this Entry

“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraband. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on contraband

Nglish: Translation of contraband for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about contraband

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