shoplift

verb

shop·​lift ˈshäp-ˌlift How to pronounce shoplift (audio)
shoplifted; shoplifting; shoplifts

intransitive verb

: to steal displayed goods from a store

transitive verb

: to steal (displayed goods) from a store

Examples of shoplift in a Sentence

The manager saw the kids shoplift and called the police. The kids shoplifted candy from the store.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Imagine assessing a teenager with a history of shoplifting incidents that never led to probation. Philip Caldwell, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2025 That includes minors, that includes Dreamers, that's shoplifting a pack of bubble gum. NBC News, 12 Jan. 2025 He was arrested again in 2016, during his four-year probation term, for shoplifting from a local Walmart and resisting security and was sent back to prison. Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025 California saw an uptick in shoplifting from 2021 to 2022 in big cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to a study by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shoplift 

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from shoplifter

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoplift was in 1756

Dictionary Entries Near shoplift

Cite this Entry

“Shoplift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoplift. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

shoplift

verb
shop·​lift -ˌlift How to pronounce shoplift (audio)
: to steal merchandise on display in stores

Legal Definition

shoplift

intransitive verb
shop·​lift ˈshäp-ˌlift How to pronounce shoplift (audio)
: to steal displayed goods from a store

transitive verb

: to steal (displayed goods) from a store

More from Merriam-Webster on shoplift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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