Thesaurus results for SMUGGLER

smuggler

noun

ˈsmə-glər

Definition of smuggler

as in runner

a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 smuggler Hartman said the physical conditions alone can be exhausting before agents ever encounter a smuggler. — Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 Former police officers working as private security contractors aboard another rescue ship operated by Save the Children contacted Italian intelligence authorities, alleging that Iuventa volunteers maintained contacts with smugglers. — Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 17 July 2026 As if to prove the point, street prices for cocaine in the United States have plummeted, the opposite of what would be expected if smugglers were being deterred. — Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 In other instances, Warrick said, there will be ghost carriers or fraudulent pickups of drivers or middlemen posing as legitimate transporters, but who are really smugglers. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for smuggler

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggler

Noun

Baldwin capped a three-run second inning against Eury Pérez (5-9) with a two-out single to center that brought home a pair of runners.

— CBS News, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Bo Bichette drove in Francisco Lindor, the automatic runner, with a single off right-hander Matt Festa in the top of the 10th.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of runner

Noun

Gosha, a local station master, has a side-hustle of his own, turning a blind eye while bootleggers siphon diesel from the tankers that sit idly on the train tracks.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 July 2026
Weeth said bootleggers purchase fireworks from manufacturers in China and who, for a fee, package the fireworks in colorful branding, which are more difficult to track and often lack proper warnings.

— Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of bootlegger

Noun

Johnson is currently working on another small Canadian film, a true-story caper about a Vice editor’s side hustle as a drug-mule recruiter with Finn Wolfhard slated for the lead.

— Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Merchant galleons coursing into the port of Caldera would be groaning with cacao, tobacco, livestock and hardwoods, transported down by mule from the transit hub of Esparza in the mountain basin above.

— Donna Hardie-Scott, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of mule

Browse Nearby Words

smuggled

smuggler

smugglers

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Smuggler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggler. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of smuggler

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on smuggler

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

invidious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes