Synonyms of traffic

traffic 1 of 2

noun

ˈtra-fik 

as in commerce

the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places

they contributed money to an environmental group that works to end the traffic of endangered animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• commerce
• marketplace
• trade
• business
• dealings
• free trade
• black market
• gray market
• merchandising
• retailing
• horse-trading
• wholesaling
• bartering
• e-tail

traffic

2 of 2

verb

as in to trade

to carry on the business of buying and selling goods or other property

arrested him for trafficking in drugs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• trade
• deal
• negotiate
• sell
• smuggle
• merchandise
• exchange
• market
• retail
• transact
• purchase
• bargain
• supply
• wholesale
• swap
• buy
• auction
• barter
• fence
• horse-trade
• resell
• peddle
• distribute
• invest
• vend
• corner
• take
• monopolize
• pick up
• bootleg
• black-market
• speculate
• engross
• undersell
• rebuy
• day-trade
• fair-trade

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• boycott
• black
• blackball

Synonym Chooser

How is the word traffic distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of traffic are business, commerce, industry, and trade. While all these words mean "activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities," traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Where would business be a reasonable alternative to traffic?

While the synonyms business and traffic are close in meaning, business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

How are the words commerce and trade related as synonyms of traffic?

Both commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

When would industry be a good substitute for traffic?

The words industry and traffic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of traffic

Noun

Irresistible workers Dallas has used grazing goats before in other parts of the city, but this project is expected to draw plenty of attention with its high-traffic location and irresistible cast. —Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026

The people who live nearby are left with the traffic, the crowded schools, the strained water systems, and the bill. —Sean Parks, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026

Verb

In 2024, he was charged with playing a supporting role in the conspiracy to bribe Costanzo, the DEA supervisor in Miami, with tens of thousands of dollars for access to confidential information about drug-trafficking suspects. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026

Meantime, a controversy arose last week surrounding the mysterious capture in Mexico of Ryan Wedding, the former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who faces federal charges in California of running a billion-dollar drug-trafficking ring. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026