as in runners
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally
during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business
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Recent Examples of smugglers
The reductions, which reduced the number of entomologists, have emboldened ant smugglers, Wired reported.
—
Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2026
That case charged a handful of Florida defendants with stealing more than 600 outboard boat engines and vessels from the Tampa area and shipping them to the migrant smugglers in the Quintana Roo area.
—Jay Weaver
may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Greg Thomas, chief executive of ChainSentry, a firm that conducts gray-market surveillance of semiconductor supply chains, said export controls have created an artificial scarcity that has made advanced chips almost irresistible to smugglers.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 May 2026
The four-part docuseries focuses on reptiles — Goode’s first love, according to a synopsis of the series — and the collectors and smugglers going to great lengths to get their hands on rarer and deadlier species in what has become a billion-dollar criminal enterprise that spans six continents.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The final episode culminates with the group continuing to try to catch the smugglers — despite their program being cut.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
That day, six medium-sized speedboats, belonging to drug traffickers or smugglers, had sought refuge from a storm among the breakwaters and docks of the port.
—Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
Police operations led to the arrest of 480 smugglers last year, the French Interior Ministry said.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Apr. 2026
Police operations led to the arrest of 480 smugglers last year, the French Interior Ministry said.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2026
That case charged a handful of Florida defendants with stealing more than 600 outboard boat engines and vessels from the Tampa area and shipping them to the migrant smugglers in the Quintana Roo area.
—Jay Weaver
may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Greg Thomas, chief executive of ChainSentry, a firm that conducts gray-market surveillance of semiconductor supply chains, said export controls have created an artificial scarcity that has made advanced chips almost irresistible to smugglers.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 May 2026
The four-part docuseries focuses on reptiles — Goode’s first love, according to a synopsis of the series — and the collectors and smugglers going to great lengths to get their hands on rarer and deadlier species in what has become a billion-dollar criminal enterprise that spans six continents.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The final episode culminates with the group continuing to try to catch the smugglers — despite their program being cut.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
That day, six medium-sized speedboats, belonging to drug traffickers or smugglers, had sought refuge from a storm among the breakwaters and docks of the port.
—Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
Police operations led to the arrest of 480 smugglers last year, the French Interior Ministry said.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Apr. 2026
Police operations led to the arrest of 480 smugglers last year, the French Interior Ministry said.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugglers
Noun
-
The Yankees, who have scored eight runs over their losing streak, were otherwise quiet against Brandon Young and Baltimore’s bullpen, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranding five runners.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2026
-
On top of that, wild strawberries spread via runners, which help to stabilize soil and can be separated into indivdual plants to provide you with more groundcovering plants for free.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Jewelry couriers carrying armored cases disappear into the famously tiny elevators.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Staffers in the front office smoked, gabbed on the phone, and chatted with the illustrators and couriers stopping by the third-floor walk-up to drop off portfolios.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Even the underground tunnels bootleggers used to service the Green Mill during its speakeasy days are still in place.—
Meena Thiruvengadam,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Apr. 2026
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From embracing bootleggers to pulling its catalog from Spotify, Mackenzie explains how the band has tried to protect its creative core while the industry transforms around it.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smugglers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugglers. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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