shoplifter

[ shop-lif-ter ]

/ ˈʃɒpˌlɪf tər /

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See synonyms for shoplifter on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who steals goods from the shelves or displays of a retail store while posing as a customer.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of shoplifter

1670–80; obsolete shoplift shoplifter (shop + lift) + -er¹

Words nearby shoplifter

shopful, shopgirl, shophar, shopkeeper, shoplift, shoplifter, shoplifting, shoppe, shopper, shopping, shopping bag

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shoplifter in a sentence

An alleged shoplifter received $27,500 after he accused a police officer of slamming him to the ground and fracturing his leg.
These are the police misconduct lawsuits the public hears little about|Paul Schwartzman|December 25, 2020|Washington Post
In Alabama, an arrested 19-year-old shoplifter got gangrene and died naked on the floor of a “medical observation cell.”
Here’s a Reform Even the Koch Brothers and George Soros Can Agree On|Tina Brown|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Family lore recalls the time Nathan picked up a shoplifter and threw him out the door.
‘The Harness Maker’s Dream:’ The Unlikely Ranch King of Texas|Nick Kotz|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The shame and burden of being exposed as a shoplifter,” she writes in an earlier chapter, “cannot be erased.
Great Weekend Reads|The Daily Beast|July 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST

During that time, I learned that he was an experienced shoplifter.
The Hipster Thief|Nick Antosca|September 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The detective, as a rule, should not make an arrest under any circumstances until after the shoplifter has left the store.
Practical Instruction for Detectives|Emmerson W. Manning
Guy Faux was to be treated with an indulgence which was not to be extended to a shoplifter.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
Robert Bull'—he read the first name on the list—'Robert Bull, shoplifter.
For Faith and Freedom|Walter Besant
How dexterous are the hands of the shoplifter, but to what a wretched course have they been trained!
The Senses and The Mind|Anonymous
In New York as soon as one did that she'd be nabbed on the way out for a shoplifter.
Vignettes Of San Francisco|Almira Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for shoplifter

shoplifter

/ (ˈʃɒpˌlɪftə) /

noun

a person who steals goods from a shop during shopping hours

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

shoplifter

Origin of shoplifter

Words nearby shoplifter

Words related to shoplifter

How to use shoplifter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shoplifter