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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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 smuggling

Noun

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 Other deportees had convictions or arrests involving violent assault, domestic violence, drugs, burglary and theft, weapons offense alien smuggling and other crimes. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors in Taiwan have indicted an Nvidia manager, along with eight others, for violating export controls and smuggling cutting-edge AI chips to China. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026 Homeland Security Investigations plays a key role in countering fentanyl smuggling by targeting routes and laboratories and working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate smuggling operations. — Ariana Figueroa, Baltimore Sun, 23 Aug. 2026 Those names may not mean much to a layperson, but all have, at times, been sentenced to years in prison for international animal smuggling. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 Two people have been arrested and charged with wildlife trafficking in what federal officials said was a yearslong smuggling operation. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Verb

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 Five men pleaded guilty in federal court this month to smuggling millions of dollars worth of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to South Florida hidden in compartments on sport fishing boats. — David Goodhue august 26, Miami Herald, 26 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 It's also given rise to smuggling schemes to bring AI hardware into China, prompting international investigations and the arrests of many high-profile employees at companies such as Super Micro and Nvidia. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 17 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

Ball State is selling its Saturday afternoon and accepting a few bruises for nearly $2 million.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman took turns Thursday evening selling their environmental records — and painting starkly different pictures of the city’s performance under Bass’ leadership.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of selling

Noun

The department had initially intercepted and inspected the shipment at the port based on a tip received by its counterfeit and piracy enforcement team, the department said in the release.

— Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The increase, however, still doesn’t match the scale of Somalia’s piracy crisis at its peak.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 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

This unregulated trade introduces dangerous species and facilitates trafficking of endangered animals.

— John Werner, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The Justice Department⁠ on Wednesday said a federal grand jury indicted two commanders of a powerful Mexican drug cartel, accusing the brothers of trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States and committing firearms offenses.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 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

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smuggles

smuggling

smugness

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Style

“Smuggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggling. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of smuggling

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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