Synonyms

shoplift

American

[shop-lift] / ˈʃɒpˌlɪft /

verb (used with object)

to steal (merchandise) as a shoplifter.

verb (used without object)

to shoplift merchandise.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

antishoplifting

adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of shoplift

First recorded in 1810–20; back formation from shoplifter

Explanation

When a customer in a store pretends to browse but actually slips items into their bag or pocket, they shoplift. Historians trace the first documented shoplifting to London during the 16th century. And although people certainly stole things before that, the act of surreptitiously lifting goods from store shelves hadn't been described as shoplifting before that. Today, big chains expect that a certain number of customers will shoplift — though they work to prevent it using things like cameras, dyepacks, and security guards — and describe the losses caused by it as "shrinkage."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

shoplift shoplifts shoplifted shoplifting

Entire carts full of items with no supervision at self-checkout is an invitation to shoplift, especially to those with limited resources.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2023

Mr. Hayes said people seem to be feeling less shame and embarrassment when they shoplift.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 13, 2023

In 2022 Banksy hinted his fans should shoplift from clothing store Guess in Regent Street, after he accused the company of using his art on their garments without permission.

From BBC ● May 17, 2023

“The family knows her to be a hard-working young lady who didn’t shoplift, didn’t steal and was able to afford to purchase things that she needed and wanted,” Caleb said.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 12, 2022

He’ll know something’s up in the same way he always knows which customer is going to shoplift or who’s good for an IOU and who’s not.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

But her delusions of grandeur, as she shoplifts or fends off imaginary enemies, could earn her a place among the kookiest of women in Pedro Almodóvar’s oeuvre.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2021

Sam Allardyce regularly shoplifts penny sweets then just throws them out of his car window on the motorway.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 15, 2011

Conversely, if she shoplifts from the Georgetown Gap, we probably shouldn't impeach her for such a petty crime.

From Time Magazine Archive

When he traced a seller on Vinted he suspected of selling on the stolen goods, Mr Groves discovered the man the account belonged to is married to the woman who had shoplifted the cuddly toys.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024

Hotel LaChapelle’ was the most shoplifted book in Barnes & Noble history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2024

The only example of misidentification that he recalled was when a man was confused for his identical twin, who had shoplifted.

From New York Times ● Jun. 28, 2023

While Chow thought the youth had shoplifted, investigators said store videos showed Carmack-Belton returned the four water bottles to the cooler.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

Officers, I can now affirm that there are no narcotics, explosives, or shoplifted gewgaws in my son's bag.

From Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

BBC News NI has previously reported on shop staff in Belfast feeling like "second-class citizens" due to shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Inside the secretive lab shaping America’s retail landscape: At a Florida lab few have ever seen, a team of researchers is trying to stave off a purported epidemic of shoplifting.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

She delivers this line with both humor and a remarkably unassuming depth, a weight that suggests her character has far more on her mind than just shoplifting.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

More than 90% of people jailed pretrial were charged with offenses that didn’t even qualify for detention under the California Constitution: shoplifting, driving without a license, vandalism.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

“They get angry when they read about how filthy they are,” Hunter Thompson later wrote of the Hell’s Angels, “but instead of shoplifting some deodorant, they strive to become even filthier.”

From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023