shoplifter
Americannoun
-
shoplifters
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of shoplifter
1670–80; obsolete shoplift shoplifter ( shop + lift ) + -er 1
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:
A woman who said she was sacked for challenging a shoplifter at the Merseyside convenience store where she worked has described the decision to dismiss her as "very harsh".
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
But the way Riley’s screenplay portrays the average shoplifter may help the film skirt the inevitable pearl-clutching and finger-wagging.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
The scene involves an unsavory routine on how to recognize a shoplifter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
Former shoplifter Keeley believes sending shoplifters with addictions to jail is a "waste of resources" as it does not treat the root cause of the offending.
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2025
Charlie, who accused her of being a shoplifter.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Hertfordshire Constabulary, one of three forces now using Auror, was able to arrest two shoplifters at a retail park in Stevenage thanks to the tool.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
His wife took pictures of shoplifters selling off their stolen merchandise in a second-hand goods store, but police could not identify them until the business-owners shared the images on social media.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige play shoplifters undermining the powers that be in a zany, visually uninhibited comedy written and directed by Boots Riley.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
Retailers use facial recognition technology to more easily nab shoplifters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
In the precinct the old man sat on a bench with the others, mostly shoplifters, who composed the late afternoon haul.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
