Thesaurus results for BOOTLEGGERS

bootleggers

noun

plural of bootlegger

as in smugglers

a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally a bootlegger of counterfeit electronics

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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 bootleggers Artificial intelligence developers have borrowed the word to describe boiling down a big AI model into a smaller one—and lately the biggest AI companies say that rivals have been distilling like bootleggers. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 Others are following the Styles pop-up playbook and fully leaning into exclusivity — offering not just apparel, but also experiences that fans can’t get from the bootleggers. — Matt Martell, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026 The supporting cast is well stocked with character actors who bring humor and pathos to this gaggle of spouses, friends, lovers and bootleggers. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026 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 Weeth said bootleggers purchase fireworks from manufacturers in China and who, for a fee, package the fireworks in colorful branding, which are more difficult to track and often lack proper warnings. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootleggers

smugglers

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

Definition of smugglers

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bootlegger

bootleggers

bootlegging

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

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Synonyms of bootleggers

noun

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