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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smugglers
So can those who set prices; deal with Mexican cartel suppliers; launder money; establish drug houses; and pay smugglers, intermediaries and others.
—
Kevin Krause, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026
Yes, arrest the murderers, drug lords and gang members, thieves and smugglers.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
Adama Sane, 24, once dreamed of reaching Europe but didn’t have money to pay smugglers.
—Mark Banchereau, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Magicians, smugglers and loads of adventure — fans of fantasy and historical fiction will gobble it up.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Chief Justice David Brearley, who would later serve as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, explained that even alleged smugglers aiding the British in the nation’s darkest hour, with independence hanging in the balance, deserved the dignity of 12 jurors.
—Time, 17 Dec. 2025
Officials also alleged Galeano had sought to smuggle her teenage children into the country, paying smugglers to do so.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Later in the journey the family run afoul of smugglers in Thailand, which leads to an even more desperate situation as the children have to fend for themselves.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2025
There, Chinese security officials said the two sides are again exchanging information on how smugglers alter their tactics.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
Kevin Krause, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026
Yes, arrest the murderers, drug lords and gang members, thieves and smugglers.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
Adama Sane, 24, once dreamed of reaching Europe but didn’t have money to pay smugglers.
—Mark Banchereau, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Magicians, smugglers and loads of adventure — fans of fantasy and historical fiction will gobble it up.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Chief Justice David Brearley, who would later serve as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, explained that even alleged smugglers aiding the British in the nation’s darkest hour, with independence hanging in the balance, deserved the dignity of 12 jurors.
—Time, 17 Dec. 2025
Officials also alleged Galeano had sought to smuggle her teenage children into the country, paying smugglers to do so.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Later in the journey the family run afoul of smugglers in Thailand, which leads to an even more desperate situation as the children have to fend for themselves.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2025
There, Chinese security officials said the two sides are again exchanging information on how smugglers alter their tactics.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugglers
Noun
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Another possible explanation is that the subjects in laboratory dehydration studies are different from Gebrselassie and other marathon runners—perhaps because the runners have gotten used to dealing with being dehydrated.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside,
8 Jan. 2026
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Known for its residential swank defined by Art Deco-meets-Art Nouveau touches and façades, the neighborhood is dominated by well-to-do locals, out-of-town visitors, and an endless stream of runners and dog walkers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Drug couriers and lookouts, for example, are now eligible for shorter sentences.—
Kevin Krause,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Thieves steal packages left on stoops and doorsteps by delivery couriers, and typically strike when no one’s home, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Key lime pie has been enjoyed by locals in Key West for over 100 years, which means bootleggers and Ernest Hemingway both (most likely) indulged in the sweet-tart treat.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
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No one knows why; no one has a telephone in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains, so John Boy sets out into a winter storm to find his daddy, having various escapades with the quirky residents of their backwoods community—a Black preacher, a pair of old-lady bootleggers, a turkey thief—along the way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smugglers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugglers. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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