SMUGGLING Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

smuggling 1 of 2

noun

as in poaching

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smuggling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of smuggle

as in selling

to move (people or goods) from one country to another secretly and illegally They were arrested for smuggling drugs across the border.

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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 smuggling

Noun

Sources state thatNew York leads the nation in inbound cigarette smuggling, with more than half of the cigarettes consumed in the state originating from illicit sources. — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026 The Spanish and Moroccan governments have blamed a viral social-media misinformation campaign by smuggling gangs. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 As already mentioned, Brazil pioneered the use of drones for smuggling between prisons, but more recently, groups have also turned to using them as tools to drop explosives and monitor police movements. — Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Mexican drug cartels are increasingly turning to tunnels built for drug smuggling to ferry migrants into the United States. — Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Such drones can also be used to continuously monitor for things like submarine activity at a location, or act as a watchdog for activities like smuggling. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 The area around Cucuta has long been disputed by drug gangs and rebel groups who are fighting over smuggling routes leading into Venezuela. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Playing that cat, a work camp warden coercing Hawke’s character into smuggling gold through the wilderness, is none other than Russell Crowe. — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 The attorney general's office on Thursday formally charged Fernando Farias, a high-ranking officer who was expelled last week from Argentina, with fuel smuggling. — CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

Guerrero also attended additional meetings at Vientemilla’s office where participants discussed obtaining firearms and ammunition and smuggling ballistic vests from CTU into Haiti for the Colombians, prosecutors said. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 With the goal of smuggling themselves to Turkey, the women are eventually found out for keeping a secret or two from the conspirators abetting their plan. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026 The brave and resourceful Alice escaped the Nazis, smuggling her grandchildren to safety in England. — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026 Nia then persuades Tefa to join her in smuggling cell phones into the regional prison. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 At night, Axira leads a secret operation, smuggling the ruler’s Heartfillers — until one mistake results in her execution date, per the book’s synopsis. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Nia persuades Tefa to join her in smuggling cellphones into the regional prison. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 Aug. 2026 Attackers can capitalize on the predilection by smuggling harmful instructions into emails or webpages the assistant is instructed to summarize. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors said Santana was paid thousands in bribes for smuggling contraband into the facility between May 2024 and June 2025. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggling

Noun

Clouded leopards are native to South and Southeast Asia and classified as vulnerable due to severe habitat loss and poaching.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Boiling or poaching are considered the healthiest ways to cook eggs, while roasting or grilling is best for chicken.

— Lindsay Curtis, HEALTH, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of poaching

Verb

Joe Bob’s may be eligible for a $10,000 bonus under the Texas Lottery’s Retailer Bonus Program for selling the prize-winning ticket, according to the release.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026
And yet scores of companies selling this and other unapproved drugs have blown through regulatory safeguards to offer access to customers online — part of a national craze that is changing the way consumers buy drugs.

— Daniel Gilbert, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of selling

Noun

This included one on Reddit about torrents on the site 1337x —which is frequently used for online piracy— delivering an executable file, rather than a media file.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Anthonis welcomed the summit’s recognition that protecting intellectual property and fighting piracy are fundamental to sustaining the creative economy.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of piracy

Verb

Paramount is distributing the film, which was made and financed by Hammerstone.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Mensah looked as good as the numbers suggested, too, ripping NFL-level throws and distributing the ball to his myriad playmakers, namely wide receiver Malachi Toney.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of distributing

Noun

In a mountain hamlet, avocado farming lifted once-poor families into the middle class, but opened the door to cartel extortion, kidnapping and fear.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The driver was found guilty at trial in June of kidnapping, rape and forcible penetration by use of a foreign object.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of kidnapping

Verb

At the time of these incidents, Brown had cut off his ankle monitor in connection to a 2021 human-trafficking case.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
The 55-year-old who rushed for two touchdowns during his 1999 season with Big Blue was convicted on six felony counts involving the possession, selling and trafficking animals used for fighting in August.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of trafficking

Noun

Historical context and origins Before the rise of the Mongol empire, trade across Eurasia along the Silk Road network was frequently disrupted by warfare, political fragmentation, heavy taxation, and banditry.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Robin quickly and viscerally dispatches his foe, before going up against a larger swath of enemies who are targeting his former partner-in-banditry Little John (played by Bill Skarsgård).

— David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

Definition of banditry

Verb

Industrial heat gets second life The company already has an operating waste heat-to-power project supplying electricity to the University of Dayton.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
The farm is also supplying its honey to the restaurant; accumulated at a small scale, the kitchen planned its use strategically.

— Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of supplying

Browse Nearby Words

smuggles

smuggling

smugness

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Smuggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggling. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of smuggling

noun

verb

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