Synonyms of bootleggers

bootleggers

noun

plural of bootlegger

as in smugglers

a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally

a bootlegger of counterfeit electronics

Synonyms & Similar Words

• smugglers
• runners
• couriers
• coyotes
• mules
• contrabandists
• gunrunners

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bootleggers

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

Working primarily in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), Reeves tracked down murderers, thieves, bootleggers and other outlaws across a vast and often dangerous frontier. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026

Stock car racing's origins trace back to the Prohibition era when bootleggers raced modified cars. — Keith Laing, USA Today, 23 May 2026