smuggled

Everyday

1. Smuggled means secretly taken into or out of a country against the law, such as smuggled goods, drugs or animals. tree →
2. Smuggled can mean secretly brought somewhere it is not allowed, like sweets smuggled into class. tree →
3. As an adjective, smuggled describes goods brought in this way. tree →
4. Smuggled can also mean secretly swapped for someone else so that nobody notices. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons: smugglers on the coasts of Cornwall and other places brought in tea, brandy and lace to avoid taxes. In news and law: smuggling is a crime; endangered animals and their parts are sometimes smuggled. In everyday life it can be playful («I smuggled a biscuit»). Phrases: «smuggled in», «smuggled out», «smuggled goods».

Examples

• Long ago, tea and brandy were smuggled into Cornwall at night. tree →
• Border police found smuggled parrots in a suitcase. tree →
• She smuggled a torch into her bedroom to read after lights out. tree →
• The prisoners smuggled out a secret letter. tree →
• Smuggled ivory hurts elephants. tree →
• He smuggled a chocolate bar into the cinema. tree →
• The pirates hid the smuggled goods in a cave. tree →
• She neither spat nor did anything else, but still the witch changed her into a reindeer, and smuggled her own daughter into her place as the Prince’s wife. tree →

Note

Past and participle of «smuggle»; double «g». Noun: smuggler, smuggling. Smuggling things across borders is a crime; the joking sense (sweets into class) is just breaking a small rule.