as in sells
to move (people or goods) from one country to another secretly and illegally
They were arrested for smuggling drugs across the border.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 smuggles
Produced by Mabel Cheung, Good Trip is the story of a young woman who smuggles her terminally ill father out of a hospital to address his unfulfilled wishes.
—
Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Angela, grieving for her family and friends gone in the war, smuggles goods along the front lines to make a living.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Hickinbottom smuggles the little kitten aboard his ship, the HMS Amethyst, and the crew obviously immediately falls in love with him and names the little tuxedo cat Simon.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2026
Not everyone smuggles them into print in the form of an imaginary friend.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
According to Reforma, Rocha, a Mexican businessman who also serves as a consul of Guatemala in Mexico, is considered by FRG to be an alleged leader of a criminal organization that smuggles fuel in boats through the Usumacinta River and then in trucks to Querétaro, Mexico.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Angela, grieving for her family and friends gone in the war, smuggles goods along the front lines to make a living.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Hickinbottom smuggles the little kitten aboard his ship, the HMS Amethyst, and the crew obviously immediately falls in love with him and names the little tuxedo cat Simon.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2026
Not everyone smuggles them into print in the form of an imaginary friend.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
According to Reforma, Rocha, a Mexican businessman who also serves as a consul of Guatemala in Mexico, is considered by FRG to be an alleged leader of a criminal organization that smuggles fuel in boats through the Usumacinta River and then in trucks to Querétaro, Mexico.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggles
Verb
-
During the week, Elmer shops for used Nikes, New Balances and other sneakers at thrift stores, then sells them in front of the neighborhood convenience store on the weekends.—
Wendi C. Thomas,
ProPublica,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Angelika Zaber is a gardening expert working for Online Turf, which sells turf, soil, seed, and lawn care products.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jerry Nowicki is the editor-in-chief of Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide.—
Jerry Nowicki,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The treasurer’s office collects tax dollars, tells the auditor’s office what was collected, and then the auditor distributes the funds to the governmental units, Petalas said.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Street vendor Maxime Poulard buys charcoal from suppliers to resell at a higher price.—
Evens Sanon,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Street vendor Maxime Poulard buys charcoal from suppliers to resell at a higher price.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In fifth is another Taiwanese brand, Askey, which is owned by Asus and supplies Wi-Fi routers to Charter, another popular US ISP.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The company supplies automotive electronics, medical devices, industrial equipment and data center infrastructure to every major technology firm around the world.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smuggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggles. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
