as in trade
a system through which things are bought and sold illegally
The black market in prescription drugs is thriving. They unloaded the stolen goods on the black market.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to smuggle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of black market
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Exorbitant black market prices for rare wildlife specimens and body parts provide funding for terrorist groups, drug cartels and criminal organizations.
—Bradley J. Cardinale, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
Ted’s packages containing those goods purchased from a black-market vendor lead Michelle and Cosmo to New Mexico.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
On the black market, a single golden lancehead can fetch anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Exorbitant black market prices for rare wildlife specimens and body parts provide funding for terrorist groups, drug cartels and criminal organizations.
—Bradley J. Cardinale, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
Now, Keats hawks black-market goods with his mecha-sidekick Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie), who suffers from Insufferable Wisecracking Comic Relief Syndrome.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
Ted’s packages containing those goods purchased from a black-market vendor lead Michelle and Cosmo to New Mexico.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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What strikes Vecchione about this growing legal consensus is that the business giants who stand to lose the most under a trade war have yet to put up a fight.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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But exactly what are the opportunities and what are the risks now that President Donald Trump is trying to reorder the global economy with an unprecedented trade war?—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Released in 2023, Season 1 of The Last of Us found Joel (Pascal) smuggling an immune teen, Ellie (Ramsey), out of the quarantine zone and across a post-apocalyptic America.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Multiple victims were also minors, and at least two were smuggled into the U.S. unaccompanied by a relative or legal guardian, according to the Justice Department.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These are professional shoplifters backed by criminal organizations that plan large-scale thefts and fence the products on the gray market, often selling across state lines or through the internet.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Apr. 2025
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Resellers operating in the gray market have reportedly been using entities registered outside of China to acquire Nvidia’s newest chips, including the Blackwell GPUs—which are prohibited from being sold to Chinese customers—via companies based in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Salim voices its central character, who goes on dangerous missions for the God of Death to barter for the life of his late father.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 Mar. 2025
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That means Congress is being left to barter over what else can save or raise money, and whose federal benefits might be cut.—
Talmon Joseph Smith,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Brandon Silverstein Climbs to Music Industry Summit For Silverstein, the appointment caps a meteoric rise in the music business.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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Given that 35% of Stellantis vehicles sold in the U.S. are imported, Hummel said Stellantis has a high chance of seeing earnings losses in its North America business.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In 1920s Anaheim, the big local issue was bootlegging and Catholics, who were seen as foreigners in what was supposed to be an Anglo-Saxon Protestant country.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2025
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In Chicago, as in other major cities, a few high-profile mobsters battled it out for bootlegging supremacy.—
Sarah Holzmann,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Seven companies own and operate 11 platforms in the marketplace, with Netflix, Foxtel, Nine, Disney, Amazon, Paramount and Seven securing a 90% share of premium VOD category viewership and revenue in 2024.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Every trade that occurs in the marketplace is mutually beneficial.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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By establishing a common language for inter-agent interaction, A2A allows agents to securely exchange information, coordinate actions and collaborate dynamically without sharing memory or tools.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Her relationship with her husband Michael is more forward-facing, with the two often exchanging playful banter on the Him & Her podcast.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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