smuggle

[ smuhg-uhl ]

/ ˈsmʌg əl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: smuggle / smuggled / smuggling / smuggler on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), smug·gled, smug·gling.

to import or export (goods) secretly, in violation of the law, especially without payment of legal duty.

to bring, take, put, etc., surreptitiously: She smuggled the gun into the jail inside a cake.

verb (used without object), smug·gled, smug·gling.

to import, export, or convey goods surreptitiously or in violation of the law.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of smuggle

1680–90; <Low German smuggeln; cognate with German schmuggeln

OTHER WORDS FROM smuggle

smuggler, nounan·ti·smug·gling, adjectiveun·smug·gled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use smuggle in a sentence

Finding a smuggler in Ventimiglia is easier than finding good food.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We met the smuggler in the train station; he came to speak with us about the services he provided,” Yazbek says.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“When the smuggler boat is ready, they call you,” Saed says.
Inside the Smuggling Networks Flooding Europe with Refugees|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When you are safely out, you give your password to the smuggler who calls it in to the broker to release the funds.
Inside the Smuggling Networks Flooding Europe with Refugees|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Guided by a people smuggler, they crossed a frozen river that separated the two countries.
How ‘Titanic ’Helped This Brave Young Woman Escape North Korea’s Totalitarian State|Lizzie Crocker|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The private trader therefore still ran great risk of being treated as a smuggler, if not as a pirate.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
The revenue and the trade were robbed by the smuggler; and the manufacturer was deluded by an unreal protection.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
"Yes; this boat is a gun-smuggler beyond a doubt," nodded Lieutenant Hal.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
It is a curious and amusing fact that the great smuggler (p. 267) and real delinquent was Napoleon himself.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
Thence I will make my way in a smuggler's craft to Nantes, where the governor is a friend of mine.
The Cornet of Horse|G. A. Henty

British Dictionary definitions for smuggle

smuggle

/ (ˈsmʌɡəl) /

verb

to import or export (prohibited or dutiable goods) secretly

(tr; often foll by into or out of) to bring or take secretly, as against the law or rules

(tr foll by away) to conceal; hide

Derived forms of smuggle

smuggler, nounsmuggling, noun

Word Origin for smuggle

C17: from Low German smukkelen and Dutch smokkelen, perhaps from Old English smūgen to creep; related to Old Norse smjūga

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

smuggle

Origin of smuggle

OTHER WORDS FROM smuggle

Words related to smuggle

How to use smuggle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for smuggle

Derived forms of smuggle

Word Origin for smuggle