cartel

noun

kär-ˈtel How to pronounce cartel (audio)
Definition of cartelnext
as in syndicate
a number of businesses or enterprises united for commercial advantage a cartel of oil-producing nations that controls production and influences prices

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 cartel Meanwhile, oil supply is also expected to increase after oil cartel OPEC+ agreed to add 188,000 barrels a day to their output target for August. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 6 July 2026 That’d be good news for consumers, but bad news for some of the cartel’s largest producers. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 The designation arguably laid the groundwork for the use of the military to fight cartels that produce the synthetic opioid in Mexico. — Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 They're outnumbered already, and the Mexican cartel HQ is closer. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cartel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartel
  1. syndicate
  2. conglomerate
Noun
  • The act behind the most bewildering ambient techno of the past 15 years is not a shadowy syndicate or group of evil geniuses.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
  • Lucky Number Slevin, a movie about mistaken identity, rival crime syndicates, and assassins, was, for some reason (Josh Hartnett), one of the comfort movies of my childhood.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 July 2026
Definition of syndicate
Noun
  • Today’s cooling market is already dominated by multinational conglomerates such as Daikin and Samsung, which closely track emerging technologies and are ready to move quickly.
    — Sabrina Weiss, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
  • The equity is built on a conglomerate of unrelated business lines.
    — Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of conglomerate

Browse Nearby Words

carted
cartel
cartels
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Cite this Entry

“Cartel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartel. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cartel

Nglish: Translation of cartel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cartel

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