shoplifter
Americannoun
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.
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
Ruth Lund, manager of Cherry Hill Garden Centre in nearby Middlesbrough, says this type of shoplifter has become a problem for her business, which has just installed new anti-shoplifting barriers to tackle the problem.
From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025
Charlie, who accused her of being a shoplifter.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
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.
