middleman

noun mid·dle·man \ ˈmi-dᵊl-ˌman \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Definition of middleman

: an intermediary or agent between two parties; especially : a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer

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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 of middleman from the Web

Unlike the Billy Martin-type managers of a past era who screamed authority, managers increasingly are middlemen between larger, more powerful front offices and the clubhouse.

— james wagner, New York Times, "Mets’ New Manager Hopes to Deliver, Using Hard Data and the Hard Truth," 28 Mar. 2018
Pharmacy benefit managers are health-care middlemen who help select which drugs are covered for insured patients and negotiate discounts with drugmakers.

— sharon terlep, WSJ, "CVS to Hire Former Eli Lilly CFO to Run Pharmacy Benefit Business," 20 Mar. 2018
Caremark operates in Kentucky as a pharmacy benefit manager, acting as a middleman in processing prescription drug claims pharmacists file seeking reimbursement from health plans including Medicaid.

— deborah yetter, The Courier-Journal, "State hits CVS pharmacy benefit company with $1.5 million fine," 9 July 2018
PBMs act as middlemen between insurance company plan administrators and drug companies.

— NBC News, "Medicare spending on name-brand drugs rose by 77 percent over five years, even as usage fell," 5 June 2018
PBMs are companies that act as a middleman between insurers, pharmacies, and drug manufacturers.

— maria clark, NOLA.com, "New laws take aim at prescription drug pricing in Louisiana," 4 June 2018
In the end, police arrested Fratta for planning the slaying, Howard Guidry for carrying it out and Prystash for acting as middleman between the two.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Former Missouri City cop on death row denied federal appeal," 2 May 2018
The Nebula model… eliminates personal genomics companies as middlemen between data owners and data buyers.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "This Company Wants to Sequence Your Genome, Put It On a Blockchain—And Pay You For It," 9 Feb. 2018
Since the company’s cut out the middleman and processing all together, Choi’s prices are actually very competitive for a market where virgin remy hair is a rarity.

— refinery29.com, "Death Threats & $3 Ponytails: What The Fake Hair Trade Is Hiding," 9 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'middleman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of middleman

1677

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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middleman Synonyms

Synonyms

broker, buffer, conciliator, go-between, intercessor, intermediary, intermediate, interposer, mediator, peacemaker;

Related Words

troubleshooter;

moderator;

bargainer, negotiant, negotiator;

appeaser, pacificator, pacifier, reconciler;

agent, attorney, deputy, factor, procurator, proxy;

liaison, medium;

arbiter, arbitrator, judge, referee, umpire;

adviser (also advisor), counselor (or counsellor);

MIDDLEMAN Defined for English Language Learners

middleman

noun

Definition of middleman for English Language Learners

: a person or company that buys goods from a producer and sells them to someone else
: a person who helps two people or groups to deal with and communicate with each other when they are not able or willing to do it themselves