contraband

adjective

Definition of contrabandnext
as in prohibited
not legally permissible to possess, import, or export The customs agents searched the shipping containers for contraband items.

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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 contraband Officers searched the restroom and found a package of contraband drugs, including K2, high-potency THC wax and suboxone strips. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 His current release date is scheduled for March 2028, a recent change after he was reportedly caught using a contraband cell phone to scroll on Instagram. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026 Members of the board questioned the Menendez brothers during their hearing last year about violating prison rules, including using contraband cellphones. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Faced with this churn – as well as staffing, security and contraband-control concerns – many jails invest little in family visitation. — Jillian Turanovic, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026 He was sentenced 20 years for the contraband conviction and six months for the assault and battery, all to be served concurrently. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 The contraband sale of oil and gasoline has become a multibillion-dollar business in Mexico, with the government accusing crime groups of working hand-in-glove with corrupt officials and businesses. — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 The indictment also charges four current and former federal inmates accused of coordinating drops using contraband cellphones. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2026 The Australian government announced a recent contraband haul that would make most peoples' skin crawl. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraband
  1. unauthorized
  2. smuggled
  3. forbidden
  4. illicit
Adjective
  • Faced with a seemingly impossible challenge, a human might simply give up rather than resort to these kinds of unauthorized steps.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI recently disclosed six cases of concerning model behavior, and Anthropic has also admitted its models gained unauthorized access to three organizations’ systems during testing.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of unauthorized
Adjective
  • The smuggled animals, which were imported from both Hong Kong and Mexico without permits, included Mexican beaded lizards, Mexican box turtles and Yucatan box turtles and baby crocodiles, prosecutors said.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 31 May 2026
  • Lang calls Atterton, who’s in his prison cell with a smuggled phone, to tell him the job is done and that both Bailey-Brown and Sam have been terminated.
    — Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of smuggled
Adjective
  • As a forbidden attraction grows between the two men, tragedy unleashes supernatural forces upon their deeply religious community.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Their forbidden love leads the Jade Emperor to decree their separation on opposite sides of the Milky Way.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of forbidden
Adjective
  • The Financial Action Task Force, the global money-laundering watchdog, has warned that criminals exploit citizenship and residency programs to conceal their identities, launder illicit wealth and evade justice.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Those illicit techniques include attaching a GPS tracker to a car or using cell-tower data to track a potential offender.
    — Rafael A. Mangual, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of illicit

Browse Nearby Words

contra
contraband
contrabandist
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Cite this Entry

“Contraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraband. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on contraband

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about contraband

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