middleman

noun

mid·​dle·​man ˈmi-dᵊl-ˌman How to pronounce middleman (audio)
Synonyms of middlemannext
: 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
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.
Fans of peptides are increasingly cutting out the middleman and ordering directly from gray-market suppliers. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 Congress included significant pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms in the 2026 spending package that strengthened transparency and rebate pass-through requirements—policies that shift financial incentives from industry middleman toward patient care. Bobby Jindal, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026 Consumer groups, independent pharmacies, and drugmakers rightly complained for years that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have used their position as supply chain middlemen to benefit themselves at the expense of patients and payers. Neeraj Sood, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026 Erik Fleming, who acted as Sangha’s middleman, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middleman

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middleman was in 1648

Cite this Entry

“Middleman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middleman. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster