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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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

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 Several officials, including Caruso, suggested that the heist could have been carried out by professionals or on commission for the black market, although the prosecutor’s office have not confirmed any theories. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

The similarly incisive Black Money for White Nights, by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, is very much cut from the same cloth, set in the same post-Soviet black-market economy where everyone is on the take. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 July 2026 Fruit, candy, and dessert-like flavors already proliferate among black-market e-cigarettes. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for black market

Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market

Noun

The industry moves more than 80 percent of global trade by volume.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Some China watchers, however, are keeping their expectations low, as both sides appear to be more interested in avoiding moves that would risk their current trade truce.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of trade

Verb

Trump had just flown back from a NATO summit in Ankara; he’d been smuggled out of Turkey via a catering truck and a decoy plane after Iranian threats on his life.

— Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
In 2025, Ukraine smuggled over 100 drones into Russia inside cargo trucks to conduct strikes that damaged or destroyed roughly one-third of Russia’s active bomber fleet and caused approximately $7 billion in damages.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of smuggle

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

Peyton Stewart was a 21-year-old international business major who grew up with her sister in Westwood, New Jersey, studied abroad in London and interned at TikTok.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
In the viral video, Cooper calls Earle petty for not being direct about why there’s tension between them as former business partners and, presumably, friends.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 4 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

Browse Nearby Words

blackmails

black market

black-market

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of black market

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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