Definition of bootleggernext
as in smuggler
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally a bootlegger of counterfeit electronics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bootlegger Your guide will teach you about the origins of Prohibition and tell stories of infamous bootleggers. — Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026 Brian Wilson wrote the song in 1963 with his buddy Bob Norberg, and the band cut a version that year during the Surfer Girl sessions that eventually leaked out to bootleggers. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2026 Jones had played a federal agent in Moonrunners (1975), a rollicking film from United Artists about bootleggers that was written and directed by Gy Waldron, starred Jim Mitchum and featured narration from country singer Waylon Jennings. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026 Gosha, a local station master, has a side-hustle of his own, turning a blind eye while bootleggers siphon diesel from the tankers that sit idly on the train tracks. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bootlegger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlegger
smuggler
Noun
  • Often, smugglers are only engaged in the industry out of financial necessity or coercion.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • One roofer paid smugglers $15,000, was deported or left three times, and paid $5,000 each return.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bootlegger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlegger. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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