smuggle
verb (used with object)
to import or export (goods) secretly, in violation of the law, especially without payment of legal duty.
were smuggling
-
past progressiveof smuggle.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Washington has not yet provided any evidence that the boats were smuggling narcotics or posed a threat to the United States.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
He did not clarify how Border Patrol officers or other law enforcement authorities might determine which people crossing the border were smuggling drugs.
From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
Soon Fife and Corbett, who died in 2001, were smuggling Central Americans into the U.S. and sheltering them in their homes, despite their wives’ protests.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 8, 2021
This made asking customers whether they were smuggling in a large Rowe’s steak pasty an awkward conversation – maybe they just had poor hygiene.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 9, 2018
"But he didn't know any more than we did what they were smuggling."
From Smugglers' Reef by John Blaine
