SMUGGLE Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

smuggle

verb

Definition of smuggle

as in to sell

to move (people or goods) from one country to another secretly and illegally They were arrested for smuggling drugs across the border.

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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 smuggle Some were then smuggled into Israel, but many stayed in Lebanon. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 Ecuadorian authorities have caught people attempting to smuggle iguanas multiple times this year. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 It’s based on secret recordings — heard here for the first time — made by Diana, Princess of Wales in 1991, and smuggled out of her home in Kensington Palace. — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 In 2025, Ukraine smuggled over 100 small drones into Russia in commercial cargo trucks and used them to strike strategic air bases thousands of miles from the border. — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smuggle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggle

Verb

The verdict St Vincent possesses an unexplored, get-away-from-it-all tranquillity that many more boisterous Caribbean islands would sell their last rum punch for.

— James Rampton, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
The three suspects — two Greeks and one Albanian national — are accused of removing piping from the building’s gas supply network to sell the copper as scrap, causing a major gas leak.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sell

Verb

The procedural dispute centers on a requirement to distribute amendment text to circuit court clerks for public posting, which lawmakers retroactively repealed.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026
The combination of large-scale pre-training, distributed post-training and feedback-driven learning after deployment forms the basis of GO-3 Preview.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of distribute

Verb

Although a committee of parents, teachers, students and other community leaders spelled out the need for the bond package, the voters didn’t buy in to it.

— Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also scrapped some ad buys in both states down the stretch, decisions that paid off as the party won both seats early on Tuesday night.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of buy

Verb

The company will supply design and simulation tools for developing the photonic architecture.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
The helmet uses a carbon-fiber shell to help control weight and comes supplied with clear and dark visors, as well as a Pinlock anti-fog insert.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of supply

Browse Nearby Words

smug

smuggle

smuggled

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“Smuggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of smuggle

verb

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