BLACK MARKET Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

black market 1 of 2

noun

Definition of black market

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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black-market

2 of 2

verb

as in to smuggle

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of black market

Noun

Look for a thriving black market where the big buyers are middlemen who boomerang the produce to new buyers at a fat profit. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 Authorities surmised that the robbers most likely broke the diamond down into smaller pieces and sold it on the black market. — Moises Mendez Ii, InStyle, 22 July 2026

Verb

Fruit, candy, and dessert-like flavors already proliferate among black-market e-cigarettes. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 6 May 2026 Since 2011, Syria has lost 85 percent of its gross domestic product; 90 percent of the population is poor and relies on black-market imports from Turkey. — Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for black market

Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market

Noun

E*Trade's head pitched it as clients wanting to invest, trade, bank and plan in one place.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
The 33-year-old played in nine games for the Miami Dolphins last season after coming out of a one-year retirement and being acquired in a trade from the New York Giants.

— Joseph Person, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of trade

Noun

The Biden administration’s absolute restriction on peptides resulted in Americans turning to the gray market without being properly educated.

— Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
On some looksmaxxing forums, men coach each other on how to administer filler on themselves, with materials obtained on the black or gray market.

— Charles Trepany, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of gray market

Verb

In the second-season finale, some time after Aemond had killed Rhaenyra’s son Luke, Alicent arrives in secret to Dragonstone to barter Aegon’s life in exchange for peace, and safety in particular for her daughter (and Aegon’s wife) Helaena.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Through three tedious roll calls, Roosevelt forces bartered with delegations and finally put their man over the top on the fourth try when House Speaker John Nance Garner folded his candidacy in exchange for the vice presidential nomination.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026

Definition of barter

Noun

Imagine booking a ticket on one of Europe’s premier airlines, stepping onto a brand-new, ultra-modern Airbus A350, and walking past 34 of the grandest business-class suites in the sky — only to be told no one is allowed to sit in them.

— Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
The suit cites an August 2025 article by Forbes that alleged Pierson inflated the readership and valuation of her lifestyle newsletter during business pitches.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of business

Verb

After the songs were bootlegged for years, Coe began selling them on his website in 2000, though without his name on them.

— Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
With Dallas leading 27-21 and San Francisco driving late in the fourth quarter, Joe Montana and the 49ers lined up in a split formation, with Montana bootlegging out to the right upon taking the snap.

— R.J. Coyle, Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026

Definition of bootleg

Noun

Celebrations were also held in provinces across Afghanistan, where Taliban flags and posters emblazoned with slogans in praise of the Taliban’s return to power were displayed along major roads and marketplaces.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
At the time, Rice was an account executive for PadSplit, an online co-living rental marketplace, where users can rent rooms in shared living spaces.

— Diamy Wang August 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of marketplace

Verb

German authorities said Russia organized the 2019 killing of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen rebel commander who was shot in a Berlin park by Vadim Krasikov, a hitman who was later greeted by Putin after he was exchanged in a spy swap.

— Claudia Ciobanu, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
German authorities also said Russia organized the 2019 killing of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen rebel commander who was shot in a Berlin park by Vadim Krasikov, a hitman who was later greeted by Putin after he was exchanged in a spy swap.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of exchange

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Cite this Entry

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“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of black market

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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