shoplift

verb

shop·​lift ˈshäp-ˌlift How to pronounce shoplift (audio)
shoplifted; shoplifting; shoplifts

intransitive verb

: to steal displayed goods from a store

transitive verb

: to steal (displayed goods) from a store

Examples of shoplift in a Sentence

The manager saw the kids shoplift and called the police. The kids shoplifted candy from the store.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Walmart recently banned a woman from all of its U.S. stores after she was accused of using a self-checkout scam to shoplift packs of ramen noodles and other items from one of its locations. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025 The incident took place around 4:30 p.m. after Gonzalez-Munoz, then 18, had allegedly attempted to shoplift from Macy’s in the mall, according to court documents. Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2025 The show is a bit of a time capsule now—maybe even a period drama—but Skins’s issues remain potent: characters lost their virginities, dealt with parents’ divorces and affairs, battled eating disorders and substance abuse, shoplifted, fought, raved, and found dysfunctional, die-hard friendships. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025 Riley, the Georgia college student for whom the legislation is named, was killed in February by a Venezuelan migrant who had been arrested for shoplifting prior to the attack and, subsequently, released on parole. Al Weaver, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for shoplift 

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from shoplifter

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoplift was in 1756

Dictionary Entries Near shoplift

Cite this Entry

“Shoplift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoplift. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

shoplift

verb
shop·​lift -ˌlift How to pronounce shoplift (audio)
: to steal merchandise on display in stores

Legal Definition

shoplift

intransitive verb
shop·​lift ˈshäp-ˌlift How to pronounce shoplift (audio)
: to steal displayed goods from a store

transitive verb

: to steal (displayed goods) from a store

More from Merriam-Webster on shoplift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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