gray market

noun

Synonyms of gray marketnext
: a market employing irregular but not illegal methods
especially : a market that legally circumvents authorized channels of distribution to sell goods at prices lower than those intended by the manufacturer

Examples of gray market in a Sentence

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.
The exploit allowed hackers to take over and flip valuable Instagram accounts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the gray market before Meta implemented an emergency patch on May 29. Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026 Soon, a thriving gray market emerged, with BPC-157 as one of its stars. Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 1 June 2026 Already popular on the online peptide gray market, the new drug, originally developed by Eli Lilly, caused participants in a recent clinical study to lose more than a quarter of their body weight over 80 weeks at the highest dose—results comparable to bariatric surgery. Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 29 May 2026 But, as the NYT notes, though the 14 peptides were technically restricted by the government (meaning compounding pharmacies were not allowed to produce them), consumers could still purchase them via the online gray market and play doctor from the comfort of their kitchen. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gray market

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gray market was in 1934

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gray market.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray%20market. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

gray market

noun
: a market employing irregular but not illegal methods
especially : a market that legally circumvents authorized channels of distribution to sell goods at prices lower than those intended by the manufacturer

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