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
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2025
Hamas reportedly executed a leader of the powerful Doghmush clan in March 2024, on grounds of cooperating with Israeli authorities, looting aid convoys and reselling the spoils on black market.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Dr. David Maimon, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Food, in his government’s analysis, had become a weapon used by Hamas to sustain its fighters, reward loyalty, and replenish its armaments through black-market profiteering.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
Now, in addition to scouring Paris to find traces of the artifacts, officials are concerned that the thieves could potentially break down the pieces and sell the stones on the black market.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2025
Hamas reportedly executed a leader of the powerful Doghmush clan in March 2024, on grounds of cooperating with Israeli authorities, looting aid convoys and reselling the spoils on black market.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
On Facebook and Telegram, black-market vendors offer three key services that make student aid fraud accessible to virtually anyone.
—Dr. David Maimon, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Food, in his government’s analysis, had become a weapon used by Hamas to sustain its fighters, reward loyalty, and replenish its armaments through black-market profiteering.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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Still, the Ravens have never been — and probably will never be under this current regime — the belle of the trade deadline ball.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
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Running back Breece Hall, who reportedly requested a trade himself before the deadline, and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson both took to X to share their thoughts on the situation.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And then Israel would be able to act immediately against any challenge or threat that is being developed in Gaza, and get warnings about a plan to launch rockets or to smuggle weapons or things like that.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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Two of the most recent strikes were carried out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, expanding the area where the military has launched attacks and shifting to where much of the cocaine is smuggled from the world’s largest producers, including Colombia.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To this end, Cucinelli urged the independent players to tap into the online commerce without betraying their identity of exclusivity and desirability, subtly reprimanding those who embraced the gray market outright.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
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This loophole fueled a $28 billion gray market, which states are now slowly dismantling—though some have already moved to regulate the industry.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Without data centers, flights would be grounded (pilots could not get weather info and flight plans would not be available), communication would become rudimentary, payments would stop processing (welcome back, bartering) — even 911, which goes through an online system, would shut down.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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For weeks leading up to the election, judges barter for their votes with candidates and make deals for which court system, division and courthouse they will be assigned to, and power players jockey for the supervisory placements, or presiding judge positions, by promising a bloc of loyal votes.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Porat and Venkatakrishnan both discussed how the moment demands urgency from governments and businesses alike.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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His first business ventures were reportedly an internet café and gaming centers in the provincial capital Fuzhou.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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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The Chinese e-commerce giant promised to cooperate with investigators who were alerted by an anonymous tip about the dolls — sold by third-party vendors — on Shein’s marketplace.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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That may be palatable if evergreen funds represent a small proportion of the overall marketplace, but with their rapid ascension, some experts are raising concerns that too many managers are spending too much money all at the same time.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With a sense of duty — common among Indigenous Americans, who have historically served in the military at a per capita rate higher than any other ethnic group — the men used their language to exchange codes in Tlingit while having no idea what military intelligence was doing with the information.—
Tim Trudell,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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Four districts seek site sales Districts also must seek voter approval to sell, lease or exchange certain real estate property.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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