smuggler

noun

smug·​gler ˈsmə-glər 

plural smugglers

: one who smuggles something

The traffic in drugs—especially cocaine—to Florida by sea and air from South America has been generating wealth to rival that of the tourist trade and attracting a cadre of ingenious and ruthless smugglers from around the world.

—Jeremiah Tax

In nearby Nogales smugglers tunnel 6 ft. under the border and funnel people through.

—Terry McCarthy

Officials in Paraguay raided a wildlife smuggling operation in its capital city, Asunción, on March 25, recovering two critically endangered Brazilian parrots, which Paraguayan smugglers had hoped to sell in West Germany for $40,000.

—Focus

Synonyms

• bootlegger
• contrabandist
• courier
• runner

Examples of smuggler in a Sentence

during Prohibition, smugglers of alcohol did a brisk business

Recent Examples on the Web

Dog shampoo bottles are among the many creative ways smugglers have tried to sneak meth in and out of the country. —Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025

As Thai Customs also tightened border checks, that move led to more than 800 cannabis smugglers being caught between October 2024 and March 2025. —Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Cocaine can be dumped into the water to evade detection from law enforcement or to be picked up by other smugglers, but currents or storms can carry the packages to shore. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2025

The Money At the southern border, Border Patrol agents face a deadly game with cartels, smugglers and drug mules. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above