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.

Related Words

Relevance

black-market

2 of 2

verb

as in to smuggle

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

The illicit activity came to light in 2023, when the former Harvard Medical School morgue manager was indicted for conspiring to steal body parts from cadavers donated to the Boston institution and sell them on the black market. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 Caruso noted that selling any work by an artist of such exceptional stature as Antonello on the black market would be virtually impossible. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Verb

An investigation by the National Post reported a price drop of 70 percent or more for black-market pills in cities that had instituted safer supply. — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Together, those accounts represent nearly $220 million in potential black-market sales, with threat actors increasing both the number of accounts offered and their asking prices as demand for matches grows. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for black market

Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market

Noun

That streak could be snapped in Thursday's trade, with futures called higher ahead of wholesale inflation data and another set of jobless numbers.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Pelicans, Grizz make trade The New Orleans Pelicans traded former first-round draft pick Jordan Hawkins and Micah Peavy to the Memphis Grizzlies for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, the Pelicans announced Tuesday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 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

Tourism officials are asking visitors to steer clear of one of Hawaii's most picturesque islands as residents and businesses work to recover from the latest tropical storm to thrash the state.

— GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
In the year that followed, Menin’s group worked to put on public art shows and concerts in downtown neighborhoods, and offer discounts downtown businesses.

— Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 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

My patients tell me the apps have turned dating into a competitive marketplace marked by quick and easy rejection.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
The company’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) page now redirects to Rocket Mortgage, so reviews are no longer applicable for the marketplace.

— Dan Simms, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of marketplace

Verb

During a Tuesday night press briefing, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman stated that the officer and Smith exchanged gunfire near North 38th and West Wright streets − a claim the family is disputing after reviewing body camera footage.

— April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026
After the cash was exchanged, prosecutors said, police arrested Diiorio and she was booked into the Camden County jail.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of exchange

Browse Nearby Words

blackmails

black market

black-market

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of black market

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on black market

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

empirical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes