1
as in smugglers
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally
under wartime rationing, the only way to obtain some foods was from a courier
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in messengers
one that carries a message or does an errand
a courier just delivered a package for you
Synonyms & Similar 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 couriers
Sam An, a pharmacist at a compounding pharmacy until 2021, told me that his workplace employed about twenty people—pharmacists, technicians, cashiers, couriers—in what resembled a chemistry laboratory.
—
Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
In many systems, couriers can indicate when a parcel does not fit and request or trigger the opening of a larger locker.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The bill would require couriers in charge of the cash exports to disclose additional information about the beneficiaries of the outbound cash, reporting any money heading to countries of concern, including state sponsors of terrorism and destinations identified as high-risk by the State Department.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
Two men who worked as couriers in a Stanford University graduate’s drug delivery service will avoid prison time, a federal judge ruled this month.
—Lucy Hodgman, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
Within just 48 hours, two autonomous couriers from different companies veered off course and collided with shelters shattering glass and alarming nearby residents.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
An undercover agent began buying from the group, meeting couriers in public places, like one August 2023 incident at a Target parking lot in East Palo Alto, which prosecutors detailed in court.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
The company added that the Tasks app is a small pilot compared to what’s available in the general Dasher app, where a wider array of tasks are listed for couriers to complete in between deliveries.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
The paper’s correspondents went to great lengths, including using couriers, to ensure news got back to the New York office in less than 36 hours.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
In many systems, couriers can indicate when a parcel does not fit and request or trigger the opening of a larger locker.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The bill would require couriers in charge of the cash exports to disclose additional information about the beneficiaries of the outbound cash, reporting any money heading to countries of concern, including state sponsors of terrorism and destinations identified as high-risk by the State Department.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
Two men who worked as couriers in a Stanford University graduate’s drug delivery service will avoid prison time, a federal judge ruled this month.
—Lucy Hodgman, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
Within just 48 hours, two autonomous couriers from different companies veered off course and collided with shelters shattering glass and alarming nearby residents.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
An undercover agent began buying from the group, meeting couriers in public places, like one August 2023 incident at a Target parking lot in East Palo Alto, which prosecutors detailed in court.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
The company added that the Tasks app is a small pilot compared to what’s available in the general Dasher app, where a wider array of tasks are listed for couriers to complete in between deliveries.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
The paper’s correspondents went to great lengths, including using couriers, to ensure news got back to the New York office in less than 36 hours.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couriers
Noun
-
The tactic has become more popular with smugglers as police on the beaches try to thwart crossings by puncturing the rafts that groups of migrants have to inflate and carry to the water.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Cook County Jail in Chicago, which houses nearly 5,000 detainees, has reported increasing cases of smugglers soaking paper with synthetic drugs and sending them into the jail through mail or visitors.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or the price of Pony Express messengers with the price of sending an email?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Local Democratic leaders say the party needs neighborhood-level organizing and trusted messengers, not outside organizers, to mobilize these voters effectively.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Couriers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couriers. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
