middleman

noun

mid·​dle·​man ˈmi-dᵊl-ˌman How to pronounce middleman (audio)
: an intermediary or agent between two parties
especially : a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer

Examples of middleman in a Sentence

The Internet helps consumers save money by buying products directly from companies and eliminating the middleman. We've cut out the middleman and can reduce prices for our customers. He acted as the middleman in the talks between labor and management.
Recent Examples on the Web Transferred to the safekeeping of Qatar, the middleman in the hostage deal, the money may be used only to buy food or medicine. Karl Vick, Time, 20 Sep. 2023 The radio access network (RAN) functions as a cellular network middleman, connecting end devices like cell phones to the larger world. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Sep. 2023 But Arm is a middleman in the semiconductor industry, which is a key source of tension in US-China relations. Michelle Toh, CNN, 14 Sep. 2023 The lawsuit alleges that pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs — which act as the middleman between drug manufacturers and insurance companies — bear some of the blame for this rise in addiction. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2023 The company also started selling its cars directly to Malaysian consumers, unique in a market where local middlemen still dominate. Bynicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2023 According to the state’s lawsuit, Dainis would sell ATMs to small businesses, including rural stores, then function as a middleman. James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Aug. 2023 The two also traveled to Ukraine and Kazakhstan to meet with middlemen to convert the bitcoin into cash, which was then shipped to addresses in Russia and Ukraine and subsequently picked up to be deposited into American accounts, prosecutors said. María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2023 This allowed savvy upstarts—such as BuzzFeed—to take advantage of the cheap media and serve as middlemen. Sam Venis, The New Republic, 30 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'middleman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middleman was in 1677

Dictionary Entries Near middleman

Cite this Entry

“Middleman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middleman. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

middleman

noun
mid·​dle·​man ˈmid-ᵊl-ˌman How to pronounce middleman (audio)
: go-between
especially : a dealer between the producer of goods and the consumer

More from Merriam-Webster on middleman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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