Word
smuggle
Phoneticssmug·gle, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsməɡəɫ/
UK/smˈʌɡəl/
Definition
v. to move things or people into or out of a place secretly and illegally. You usually do this to avoid paying taxes or to hide something from the police.
v. to import or export goods or people illicitly, typically in violation of customs regulations or legal prohibitions. Transitive in most contexts, requiring a direct object representing the item or person being moved.
Examples
“They tried to smuggle expensive watches across the border.”
“Customs officers caught a passenger trying to smuggle rare birds into the country inside a hidden suitcase compartment.”
“The historical novel details the dangerous routes used to smuggle prohibited literature into the occupied city, highlighting the ingenuity of the underground resistance network.”
Examples
simple
“They tried to smuggle expensive watches across the border.”
contextual
“Customs officers caught a passenger trying to smuggle rare birds into the country inside a hidden suitcase compartment.”
complex
“The historical novel details the dangerous routes used to smuggle prohibited literature into the occupied city, highlighting the ingenuity of the underground resistance network.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and often takes a prepositional phrase starting with 'into', 'out of', or 'across'.
Pitfall
He smuggled with the goods.
He smuggled the goods.
Smuggle is a transitive verb; it acts directly on the object and does not require a preposition like 'with' before the noun.
Real-World Examples
“So he turned to Baghdad dealers Alexander Messayeh, Antone Samhiry and George Khayat, and to Gejou in Paris, to help him smuggle his finds out of the country.” “I have to smuggle it in a big suitcase at the moment,” one reader admitted.” “Drugs are smuggled into prisons by visitors or staff, thrown over fences or flown in using drones.” Etymology
From earlier smuckle, either from Dutch smokkelen (“to smuggle”), a frequentative form of Middle Dutch smūken (“to act secretly, be sneaky”), from Old Dutch smugan, or from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German smuggeln; all are from Proto-West Germanic smeugan (“to creep; slip through or into”). cognates and related terms Cognate with Saterland Frisian smuggelje (“to smuggle”), West Frisian smokkelje (“to smuggle”), German Low German smuggeln, smuckeln (“to move insidiously, smuggle”), German schmuggeln (“to smuggle”), Danish smugle (“to smuggle”), Swedish smuggla (“to smuggle”). Related also to Icelandic smjúga (“to creep, penetrate”), Swedish smyga (“to sneak, slip, crawl, lurk, steal”), German schmiegen (“to nestle, wrap, snuggle”), Old English smēogan, smūgan (“to creep, crawl, move gradually, penetrate”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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