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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Recent Examples of smuggle
Drug runners often transport narcotics through a large stretch of water on the Pacific Ocean and drop them off in Mexico, where they’re subsequently smuggled into the US or Europe.
—
David Culver, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
The 16th-century Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian immigrant who'd worked at the Louvre as a handyman and who smuggled the painting out of the building after hours by removing it from its frame and hiding it beneath his work coat.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2025
Once filmmakers completed the 28-day shoot, a rough cut was smuggled out of Iran.
—Hugh Hart, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
But a comparable amount is also smuggled out via Chad, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, and Egypt—nearly all destined for the UAE.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smuggle
David Culver, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
The 16th-century Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian immigrant who'd worked at the Louvre as a handyman and who smuggled the painting out of the building after hours by removing it from its frame and hiding it beneath his work coat.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2025
Once filmmakers completed the 28-day shoot, a rough cut was smuggled out of Iran.
—Hugh Hart, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
But a comparable amount is also smuggled out via Chad, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, and Egypt—nearly all destined for the UAE.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smuggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggle
Verb
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When Salah was left out away at Galatasaray last month, Slot could sell it as keeping him fresh given the trip to Turkey fell between tricky Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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What will happen to Spirit Halloween if Towne Mall is sold?—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The affected chicken products were distributed nationwide to food service locations.—
Amber Brenza,
Health,
27 Oct. 2025
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The food bank and its over 400 community partners around the state, who rely almost entirely on donations from Idaho companies and residents to distribute food, serve hundreds of thousands of the state’s residents each month.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That's how people buy aviation—safety and cost.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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While reflecting on her first performance, Furtado remembered buying the pink dress from a store called Original on Queen West in Toronto, and also picking up some sparkly platform shoes for the monumental moment.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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TechCrunch reports that Also already has a deal in place to supply one of the quads, which features a large cargo compartment, to Amazon.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
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Teams are placed into CIF Southern Section girls volleyball playoff divisions according to their rating supplied by Massey Ratings System.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smuggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggle. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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