as in trade
a system through which things are bought and sold illegally
The black market in prescription drugs is thriving. They unloaded the stolen goods on the black market.
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as in to smuggle
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of black market
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Gilbert Villegas, 36th, has introduced an ordinance aimed at the black market for replacement airbags.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
The Shelby Township Police Department seized nearly 1,000 pounds of black-market marijuana, weapons and other items while serving a search warrant on March 13, 2026 at a home in the township.
—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Gilbert Villegas, 36th, has introduced an ordinance aimed at the black market for replacement airbags.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Verb
Superfakes is about a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld in order to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.
—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
The Shelby Township Police Department seized nearly 1,000 pounds of black-market marijuana, weapons and other items while serving a search warrant on March 13, 2026 at a home in the township.
—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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The trade brought the two-time WNBA All-Star and 2023 national champion to an Atlanta team coming off what the franchise called a historic 2025 season.
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Without a strong run in the next few weeks, a trade deadline sell-off is a distinct possibility for Tigers President Scott Harris, a former Theo Epstein protégé with the Cubs.
Verb
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Last month, two Georgia teenagers were charged just 74 miles east of Macon for allegedly using drones to smuggle contraband into the Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia.
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Livestock was also smuggled across borders without proper health checks, according to a 2022 report from the think tank InSight Crime.
Noun
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That visibility has fueled a parallel gray market.
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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.
Verb
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Bac Ha is one of the busiest and most visually striking markets in its region, drawing multiple ethnic minority groups who barter and sell their goods each week.
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One of the busiest and most visually striking markets in the region, Bac Ha draws multiple ethnic minority groups who barter and sell their goods each week.
Noun
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But the effect on small businesses has been chilling, with thousands simply halting trade with the EU altogether, and still more considering it.
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AIs will be our friends, our confidants, our therapists, our doctors, our employees, our business partners—and yes, in many cases, our romantic partners and lovers.
Verb
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The fact we’re getting bootlegged and people are grabbing our voices and using ’em, rap needs to be taken as serious as any other genre!
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In 1920s Anaheim, the big local issue was bootlegging and Catholics, who were seen as foreigners in what was supposed to be an Anglo-Saxon Protestant country.
Noun
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Economists’ dream of a highly liquid marketplace for information has, in some form, come true – with some asterisks.
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Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, expects that Hollywood is heading for its best summer since before the pandemic.
Verb
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Clark stood her ground, the two exchanged words, and officials hit Clark with her fifth technical foul of the season.
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Cellphone video verified by NBC News shows someone in fatigues-style clothing appearing to exchange rounds with police.
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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