smuggle

verb

Definition of smugglenext
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 Several recent cases linked to smuggling Nvidia’s AI chips into China to circumvent export controls show the appetite for its technology. — ABC News, 29 June 2026 Federal prosecutors have indicted 12 people accused of using drones to smuggle contraband into 10 federal prisons around the country. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 25 June 2026 Amid anecdotal reports that airport security services have been confiscating bottles of ranch dressing that sports tourists have tried to smuggle out of the country, Kraft Heinz came up with a TSA-friendly size of ranch dressing. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 25 June 2026 The warden’s high-stakes deal is for Murphy to smuggle gold out of a remote mine. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for smuggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggle
  1. sell
  2. distribute
  3. buy
  4. supply
Verb
  • Throughout the World Cup, videos have emerged on Instagram and TikTok of StubHub customers describing their nightmare experiences with the ticket-selling platform.
    — Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The company sells in 90 countries, up from 70 in 2021, and has deepened its presence in Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
    — Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of sell
Verb
  • The Huntington cultivates them on-site and has distributed many to botanic gardens and zoos across the country.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The new round of Breakaway and Build OC donations follows an announcement, in September, that the Samueli family would use those then-new programs to distribute about $11 million to 138 local nonprofits.
    — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
Definition of distribute
Verb
  • This pursuit of inner peace, whether through vacations or symbolic purchases, may reflect a generation trying to buy calm in a country where certainty is itself a luxury.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • La Scuola del Cuoio carries on Florence’s historic leather-making tradition and is the perfect place to buy a high-quality artisan bag.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
Definition of buy
Verb
  • Fortunately for Ram, the company was still building some Hemis to supply its heavy-duty truck line, so bringing production back online was more a matter of scaling back up than rebuilding the whole thing from scratch.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 9 July 2026
  • The decision means the plant, which had been approaching the end of its originally licensed operational period, will now supply low-carbon power to businesses and homes for two additional decades.
    — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Definition of supply

Browse Nearby Words

smug
smuggle
smuggled
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Cite this Entry

“Smuggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggle. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on smuggle

Nglish: Translation of smuggle for Spanish Speakers

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