as in prohibited
not legally permissible to possess, import, or export
The customs agents searched the shipping containers for contraband items.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
At a talk at the Arkansas Attorney General’s office in Little Rock, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said that reclassifying contraband cellphones as unauthorized could sidestep the rule.
—
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2025
Commissioners also said Erik Menendez's use of contraband cellphones was a factor in the denial.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
The moderate risk increase came after each report found that Erik and Lyle, in recent months, had been cited for breaking prison rules for contraband violations, specifically the possession of cell phones.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraband
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2025
Commissioners also said Erik Menendez's use of contraband cellphones was a factor in the denial.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
The moderate risk increase came after each report found that Erik and Lyle, in recent months, had been cited for breaking prison rules for contraband violations, specifically the possession of cell phones.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
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
-
The elder Hendrix sued Branton in 1993, claiming that the business had been mismanaged and that the attorney conducted unauthorized transactions.—
Mike Alleyne Ph.D,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
This rampant, unauthorized AI use degrades the educational experience of individual students who overly rely on the technology and those who wish to avoid using it.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Inevitably, a few students were surreptitiously checking smuggled screens that day.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Describing the damping precisely meant accidentally allowing forbidden precision in position or momentum.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Anthropic has introduced weekly rate limits for its Claude chatbot focused on curbing excessive—and forbidden—usage of Claude Code.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
Whelchel pointed to a series of text exchanges between Alam and his friends that appeared to paint Alam as a frequent user of illicit drugs like mushrooms and extacy.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraband. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share