smugglers

plural of smuggler
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

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 smugglers For example, when Rhode Islanders complained about how the British ship Gaspee was attacking their ships without mercy in its hunt for smugglers, the Royal Navy waved away the colonial government. Robert Parkinson, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 To get there, Sodais climbed mountains in the snow, moved from border to border with the help of smugglers, got captured a dozen times and spent time in jail. Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026 The tribe had to pay for tow trucks to remove them—as well as for medical care for any smugglers and migrants who were injured in the area, and for autopsies for those who were found dead. Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026 They are packed by smugglers into small and unsafe boats, with thousands dying during the perilous sea journey. ABC News, 19 June 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugglers
Noun
  • The Braves had runners on second and third with two outs in the second before King retired Jorge Mateo.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 June 2026
  • Matthews stranded two runners in three different innings.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • According to Liu, the logistics provider had signed contracts with about 120 schools in China to retrain its army of couriers for new work such as repairing and maintaining robots.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 24 June 2026
  • Darnell and Sanchez also targeted other Empyreal Logistics couriers in Denver and in Northern Colorado.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 6 June 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
  • Stock car racing's origins trace back to the Prohibition era when bootleggers raced modified cars.
    Keith Laing, USA Today, 23 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smugglers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugglers. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on smugglers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster