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
Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
That's causing a greater demand and an increase in the black market.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 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
Consider the small Himalayan nation of Bhutan, where all tobacco sales were banned in 2004 but cigarettes remained easy to access because a black market quickly cropped up.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
That's causing a greater demand and an increase in the black market.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 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
-
Everything was building over the past two years, from the historic in-season overhaul two seasons ago to the high-profile additions ahead of the March trade deadline, towards a championship run this spring.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Then to add insult to injury, Harrison — one of the players acquired in last summer’s Rafael Devers trade — has broken out as a potential Cy Young Award contender in Milwaukee.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
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From the moment Lawrence had the first edition privately printed in Italy, American and British authorities confiscated copies that had been smuggled across their borders and secretly read the novel for pleasure.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
3 June 2026
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Both are charged with conspiracy to smuggle the virus that causes mpox and lying to federal law enforcement.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Noun
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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.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
-
Soon, a thriving gray market emerged, with BPC-157 as one of its stars.—
Sara Talpos — Undark,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
-
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.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The appeal here is proximity to shopping, business offices, and a shorter drive to reach the Old Town area.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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At least 45 people were arrested in Paris on Saturday after celebrations over Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory descended into chaos, with fires set, businesses vandalized and crowds clashing with police.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
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!—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
11 July 2025
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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.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Given the precedent set by the successes of Civil War and Marty Supreme, viewers should expect Backrooms to have the same sort of theatrical-to-PVOD window and arrive in the home entertainment marketplace after 45 days in theaters, which would mean a July 14 digital streaming release.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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In the eighties, Hollywood had begun dipping its toes into the evangelical-Christian marketplace, looking to tap into a demographic that numbered roughly eighty million people.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Members exchange nights rather than dollars, and pay the company a fee of $15 to $35 per night plus cleaning costs — roughly one-tenth the cost of a comparable short-term rental, according to CNN.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
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The experience economy has steadily reshaped gifting behaviour over the last decade, particularly among families looking to create memories rather than simply exchange possessions.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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