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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as in poaching
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smuggling
Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Herrera Belett faces nine human smuggling counts; Esquijarosa faces a count of accesory to human smuggling.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
The survivors of the smuggling operation were Brazilian whiteknee tarantulas.
—Terry Demio, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Sep. 2025
Eight metro Detroit men are accused in a sophisticated theft and international smuggling operation that targeted higher-end vehicles and spanned two years, according to federal prosecutors in Detroit.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Cartels are already using drones for smuggling, scouting and dropping bombs.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The militias are powerful and, because of their control of smuggling and other criminal activity, profitable.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
While the gang has principally focused on human trafficking and other crimes targeting migrants, it has also been linked to extortion, kidnapping, money laundering and drug smuggling, according to the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Sean Hecker, said the administration attempted to offer him removal to Costa Rica in exchange for pleading guilty to two smuggling charges.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 30 Aug. 2025
David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
In it, prosecutors offered him the chance to be deported to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail until his trial and pleading guilty to charges of smuggling undocumented immigrants across the United States.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 27 Aug. 2025
While in prison, Bundy escaped twice, and it is believed that Boone assisted his escapes by smuggling him cash, per Rolling Stone.
—Makena Gera, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
There are also concerns about the misuse of needed expertise and resources of ATF agents who need to be targeting the cartels who are smuggling firearms, improving forensic tools for criminal investigations.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
In recent years, thieves have pulled off elaborate heists of rare, million-dollar collectible cars, sometimes smuggling them out of their country of origin, retrofitting them with fake paperwork, and reselling them on the international market.
—Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025
Heng had been involved in smuggling the fish in luggage and selling them, but he was only charged with possession, prosecutors said.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
They are accused of smuggling a fungus that causes a disease in wheat, barley, maize and rice so that Liu could research the pathogen at a U-M lab where Jian works.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 19 Aug. 2025
In March, a Chinese citizen named Sai Keung Tin was sentenced to 30 months in prison for smuggling more than 2,000 turtles from the United States to Hong Kong over about five years, federal prosecutors said.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
Federal prosecutors in Tennessee have indicted Abrego Garcia on human smuggling charges.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Herrera Belett faces nine human smuggling counts; Esquijarosa faces a count of accesory to human smuggling.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
The survivors of the smuggling operation were Brazilian whiteknee tarantulas.
—Terry Demio, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Sep. 2025
Eight metro Detroit men are accused in a sophisticated theft and international smuggling operation that targeted higher-end vehicles and spanned two years, according to federal prosecutors in Detroit.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Cartels are already using drones for smuggling, scouting and dropping bombs.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The militias are powerful and, because of their control of smuggling and other criminal activity, profitable.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
While the gang has principally focused on human trafficking and other crimes targeting migrants, it has also been linked to extortion, kidnapping, money laundering and drug smuggling, according to the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Sean Hecker, said the administration attempted to offer him removal to Costa Rica in exchange for pleading guilty to two smuggling charges.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
Federal agents stopped three boats that were en route to South Florida from the Bahamas and were smuggling large loads of cocaine and dozens of Chinese migrants last week, according to court documents.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
In it, prosecutors offered him the chance to be deported to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail until his trial and pleading guilty to charges of smuggling undocumented immigrants across the United States.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 27 Aug. 2025
While in prison, Bundy escaped twice, and it is believed that Boone assisted his escapes by smuggling him cash, per Rolling Stone.
—Makena Gera, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
There are also concerns about the misuse of needed expertise and resources of ATF agents who need to be targeting the cartels who are smuggling firearms, improving forensic tools for criminal investigations.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
In recent years, thieves have pulled off elaborate heists of rare, million-dollar collectible cars, sometimes smuggling them out of their country of origin, retrofitting them with fake paperwork, and reselling them on the international market.
—Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025
Heng had been involved in smuggling the fish in luggage and selling them, but he was only charged with possession, prosecutors said.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
They are accused of smuggling a fungus that causes a disease in wheat, barley, maize and rice so that Liu could research the pathogen at a U-M lab where Jian works.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 19 Aug. 2025
In March, a Chinese citizen named Sai Keung Tin was sentenced to 30 months in prison for smuggling more than 2,000 turtles from the United States to Hong Kong over about five years, federal prosecutors said.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smuggling
Verb
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Large swaths of one floor selling scarves were focused on headscarves, or hijabs.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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The move has been met with backlash from producers who have in the past used Channel 4 commissions as a bedrock to build their businesses by retaining the IP and selling it around the world.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Between poaching and loss of nesting sites in countries like Indonesia, scientists now estimate their numbers in the northeastern Indian Ocean as less than 1,000 females.—
M. Rajshekhar,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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Social media, which the authors note can create a climate that rewards trophy poaching, can also play a powerful role in public shaming of poachers.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Spencer Mello will be charged with trafficking, distributing, and possession offenses as well as Conspiracy to Violate Controlled Substance Act.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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By distributing model development and compute power globally, the network aims to reduce reliance on large tech companies while also addressing concerns about bias, censorship, and single points of failure.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Representatives of the Brazilian government and the film sector will discuss in a panel during Sao Paulo’s motion picture convention Expocine the challenges and strategies to curb the digital piracy of films and TV shows in Brazil.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
9 Sep. 2025
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Learn About Local History The Carteret County History Museum documents the lives and history of the area from the era of piracy to the world wars and more.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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James was charged with distribution of a class B substance, trafficking fentanyl above 10 grams, possession of class B substance with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to violate drug laws.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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Over the years Philippine counter-trafficking projects have found some ways to increase financial self-reliance, for instance by starting fair trade farming projects.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Jamel McGriff, 42, a Bronx ex-con with a decades-long rap sheet, has been charged with 14 counts of murder and 37 charges in total, including kidnapping, burglary, robbery, arson, weapons offenses, grand larceny and identity theft, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The prosecutor turned to the day of the kidnapping.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once seen as a cloud laggard, Oracle is now positioning itself as a central player in supplying infrastructure for the AI boom, aided by Larry Ellison’s close ties with tech leaders like Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Continue reading … SHEEN COMES CLEAN – Charlie Sheen reveals how his massive drug habit alarmed the drug cartel supplying him.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The following year, the group made its first acquisition by buying a controlling stake in FC Como Women, which competes in Italy’s top-tier women’s soccer league, Serie A Femminile.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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As long as there are no other outbreaks, shoppers can expect cooler prices heading into the holiday season in addition to an abatement of egg-buying restrictions at grocery stores.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smuggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smuggling. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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