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
Chow Yun-fat stars as a steely, toothpick-chewing detective who seeks vengeance after gun smugglers kill his partner.
—
Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
The Pentagon’s Joint Task Force Southern Border, activated in March of last year, is using autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessels, or USVs, to patrol vast stretches of the Rio Grande to deter drug smugglers.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
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
Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
The Pentagon’s Joint Task Force Southern Border, activated in March of last year, is using autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessels, or USVs, to patrol vast stretches of the Rio Grande to deter drug smugglers.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugglers
Noun
-
The Dodgers had runners on base in five of the innings, in scoring position in four of those.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
An incomprehensible dropped fly ball to center had runners and the corners with two down.—
Matt Roy,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Darnell and Sanchez also targeted other Empyreal Logistics couriers in Denver and in Northern Colorado.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
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Top figures could avoid vulnerable communications, rely on couriers or hardwired systems, and disperse authority before an operation begins.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Working primarily in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), Reeves tracked down murderers, thieves, bootleggers and other outlaws across a vast and often dangerous frontier.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
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Stock car racing's origins trace back to the Prohibition era when bootleggers raced modified cars.—
Keith Laing,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smugglers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugglers. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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