smuggle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to move goods or people secretly and illegally across a border or through controls

   They tried to smuggle watches through customs.

2. 2
   verb

   to bring something in secretly or without permission

   She smuggled snacks into the theater.

Probably from Dutch smokkelen, "to smuggle," related to Germanic words for acting secretly or slipping through. The core idea is hidden movement past rules or borders.

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