smugglers

plural of smuggler
as in runners
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

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 smugglers Often, smugglers are only engaged in the industry out of financial necessity or coercion. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 One roofer paid smugglers $15,000, was deported or left three times, and paid $5,000 each return. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Walker says another goal is getting confiscated turtles back to the wild, but as Kung notes, smugglers commingle different turtles, spreading diseases that must be kept out of wild populations. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Such go-fast boats were designed for offshore racing but were later commandeered by drug smugglers in South Florida during the 1980s. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 All the passengers were migrants who paid smugglers to take them from the Bahamas to South Florida, Homeland Security Investigations agents said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 Still, despite the typical procedural formula with cases tied to gun smugglers, cartel assassins and kidnappings, the show remains topical enough to keep viewers engaged. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026 Florida has a colorful history as a haven for smugglers and scammers. — Mike Ryan, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 That’s a daunting task for smaller institutions like university research labs or think tanks that lack the resources to track down seed smugglers and prove their case. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugglers
Noun
  • Jake Bauers flew out for the second out, then Christian Yelich walked to put runners at first and second.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Hundreds of runners in purple briefs took to the streets of Johannesburg last Friday to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But to coordinate a final handoff, couriers often call customers on the phone to meet up — a hurdle for workers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The supply chain also includes transporters or couriers responsible for moving the animals, and specialist marketers who connect sellers with potential buyers.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But his favorite piece isn’t something fans can get from bootleggers.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Artificial intelligence developers have borrowed the word to describe boiling down a big AI model into a smaller one—and lately the biggest AI companies say that rivals have been distilling like bootleggers.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There are plenty of mules to covet this season, from Neous’s raffia mule, to Loewe’s Origami style, named so after the way the leather folds.
    — Talia Abbas, Vogue, 10 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Smugglers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugglers. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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