bootlegger

noun

ˈbüt-ˌle-gər How to pronounce bootlegger (audio)
Definition of bootleggernext
as in smuggler
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally a bootlegger of counterfeit electronics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 bootlegger Anslinger got his start during Prohibition, chasing down bootleggers for the federal government. — Literary Hub, 22 May 2026 The more appropriate way to think of this is when someone makes a bootleg copy of a movie, the original movie is still intact, but the bootlegger has nonetheless committed a crime and stolen something of value. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026 Weeth said bootleggers purchase fireworks from manufacturers in China and who, for a fee, package the fireworks in colorful branding, which are more difficult to track and often lack proper warnings. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for bootlegger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlegger
smuggler
Noun
  • In other instances, Warrick said, there will be ghost carriers or fraudulent pickups of drivers or middlemen posing as legitimate transporters, but who are really smugglers.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026
  • An antiheroic smuggler, a spunky princess and a farmboy with big dreams.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of smuggler

Browse Nearby Words

bootlegged
bootlegger
bootleggers
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Cite this Entry

“Bootlegger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlegger. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bootlegger

Nglish: Translation of bootlegger for Spanish Speakers

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