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
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026
Residents of Tehran and other cities told Reuters some prices have shot up around 40% since the war began, as the rial has plunged 8% against the dollar on the black market.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Gambling apologists argue that the recent revelations are proof that new laws are working—offshore sportsbooks and black-market bookies never coordinated with law enforcement to flag suspicious bets the way FanDuel and DraftKings do now.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
Unfortunately, livers go for a pretty penny on the black market, which means Ritchson's character has to fight a bunch of bad guys who really want to steal that liver.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026
Residents of Tehran and other cities told Reuters some prices have shot up around 40% since the war began, as the rial has plunged 8% against the dollar on the black market.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
According to court records, Gentek sold more than $42 million of black-market HIV drugs to the Boyds.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Gambling apologists argue that the recent revelations are proof that new laws are working—offshore sportsbooks and black-market bookies never coordinated with law enforcement to flag suspicious bets the way FanDuel and DraftKings do now.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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But, of course, thousands of American companies had trade and relations with China.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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But the alternative that cannot be ignored was a potential trade to accumulate more picks after trading two fourth-round picks and a third-round pick in deals for Makai Lemon and Jonathan Greenard.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Identical twins Pete and Jay Flores smuggled tons of cocaine for El Chapo and other cartel bosses, making millions in their 20s.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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With Wolfgang’s life in danger, his fellow monk Jos Niesen — a member of the Dutch resistance — attempted to smuggle Wolfgang to Switzerland.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the group argues the public would be safer if peptides were handled by regulated compounding pharmacies instead of the gray market.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
3 Apr. 2026
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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is seeking to prevent American Shaman, the Kansas City company at the forefront of a sprawling gray market, from selling an opioid that’s available at gas stations and smoke shops across the country.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At one point his grandfather bartered his watch to get groceries and gas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Thus, the Campanos wanted Owen dead, but Frank’s long-standing friendship with Nicholas allowed the latter to barter and keep Hannah and Bailey out of the fray so long as Owen stayed away from them.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Large alternative asset managers, with both private credit and private equity businesses, are so far striking a measured tone, acknowledging pockets of stress while emphasizing resilience.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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Director Scott Ellis understands all this, and thus the admirably specific physical business and slurred verbosity in his gently outré revival really makes for quite the amusing diversion.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 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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Now, the school is feeling some of the same competitive pressure its public school neighbors have been feeling – because, in Cedar Rapids' new, competitive marketplace, its product has gone from shiny and new to questionable and perhaps tainted.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
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FanDuel launched its prediction market app, FanDuel Predicts, last year with derivatives marketplace CME Group.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And so Lobanov and Stetsenko carried on with their plans, exchanging vows at the Palace of Culture and then heading to a nearby café with their guests to celebrate.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Chavez-DeRemer’s husband and father exchanged text messages with young female staff members, according to the newspaper.—
Seung Min Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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