as in runners
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally
during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smugglers
The next administration could once again allow smugglers to exploit loopholes that resulted in hundreds of thousands of children being pushed across the border.
—
Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Teaming with a colorful cast of characters, their investigation sends them on an expedition that takes in Scottish politics, AI, cults, secret agents, smugglers, and vegan record shops.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
These migrants — some whole families, one teenager traveling alone, many young men, a mother with her three young children — had started their journey in Libya, paying smugglers thousands of dollars for this chance to reach Europe.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
The smugglers reportedly received £300 per iPhone.
—PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
Vilnius is located about 25 miles west of the Belarus border and smugglers from the country tend to use balloons to transport contraband into the European Union.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Belarusian smugglers are increasingly using the balloons, which are much cheaper than drones, for smuggling cigarettes into the European Union, Buta said.
—Danny Bakst, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
The family travelled north from Central America for weeks, crossing rivers by night and riding concealed in smugglers’ trucks.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Washington should therefore seek reinvigorated technical dialogues on promoting high standards for nuclear security and making sure that nuclear materials do not fall into the hands of smugglers or terrorists.
—Mariano-Florentino CuÉllar, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2025
Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Teaming with a colorful cast of characters, their investigation sends them on an expedition that takes in Scottish politics, AI, cults, secret agents, smugglers, and vegan record shops.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
These migrants — some whole families, one teenager traveling alone, many young men, a mother with her three young children — had started their journey in Libya, paying smugglers thousands of dollars for this chance to reach Europe.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
The smugglers reportedly received £300 per iPhone.
—PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
Vilnius is located about 25 miles west of the Belarus border and smugglers from the country tend to use balloons to transport contraband into the European Union.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Belarusian smugglers are increasingly using the balloons, which are much cheaper than drones, for smuggling cigarettes into the European Union, Buta said.
—Danny Bakst, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
The family travelled north from Central America for weeks, crossing rivers by night and riding concealed in smugglers’ trucks.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Washington should therefore seek reinvigorated technical dialogues on promoting high standards for nuclear security and making sure that nuclear materials do not fall into the hands of smugglers or terrorists.
—Mariano-Florentino CuÉllar, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugglers
Noun
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The Abzorb 2010 is one of New Balance’s latest models, having just launched this year despite carrying the overt sensibilities of retro runners.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
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The bridge swayed ever so slightly as the mass of runners began to storm across.—
Nicholas Thompson,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For these drivers and couriers, finding additional ways of earning is becoming a key concern given that the rise of self-driving cars—which Uber already offers in Austin and Atlanta—could push many out of a job.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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Uber uses the event to reveal changes the company is making based on the best suggestions from drivers and couriers.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Tunnels story is that Chinese immigrants built a network of tunnels under the city because they were forced to live underground; the tunnels were then used by gangsters and bootleggers, including Al Capone.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
20 Oct. 2025
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Prohibition also took hold in Indiana during the decade, though bootleggers did pop up across the state.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smugglers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugglers. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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