black market 1 of 2

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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black-market

2 of 2

verb

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
On the black market, placards go for as much as twenty-six hundred dollars. Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 Healthcare data is especially valuable on the black market because it can be exploited for long periods without easy detection. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
Complications from black-market silicone can include infection, migration of the silicone from one part of the body to another, chronic pain, disfigurement and, in some cases, death. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 13 May 2025 Under Fidan's direction, Turkey facilitated ISIS' financing operations—including black-market oil and illicit antiquities sales. Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
  • Yes, deploying them can help U.S. manufacturers compete against the unfair, subsidized trade practices of other countries.
    Ethan Karp, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • There are trade statutes that empower the President to levy tariffs in specific cases, such as when a foreign country has been engaging in unfair trade practices.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Israel has launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran’s nuclear and military structure, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to assault key facilities and kill top generals.
    Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
  • Precision weapons were also smuggled in and used to target surface-to-air missile systems, clearing the way for Israel’s Air Force to carry out more than 100 strikes with upward of 200 aircraft in the early hours of Friday local time.
    Leila Gharagrozlou, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • The city is moving aggressively to shut down the once-thriving gray market — a matter of public safety, and also essential for the legal medical cannabis industry to thrive.
    Anna Spiegel, Axios, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Additionally, appropriate pricing strategies can assist in mitigating some of the challenges associated with the gray market.
    Bhavesh Gupta, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Look for the best deal, prepare to barter and make your money stretch.
    Eugenia Last, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2025
  • But Hurley says the goal is to open the door to the possibility of bartering.
    Kyle Norris, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Cicely has spent the last 20+ years at the intersection of business and politics, leading government affairs, communications, legal, policy, and regulatory teams at the federal, state, local, and international levels of government.
    Cicely Simpson, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • But in its complaint, Honeywell claimed that Patent Armory has a history of suing large companies for patent infringement in hopes to secure a settlement, noting that Patent Armory has pursued 189 infringement lawsuits against various businesses based on the same patents.
    Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • In Chicago, as in other major cities, a few high-profile mobsters battled it out for bootlegging supremacy.
    Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The requirement for clean, reliable and secure data that can adapt to the changing demands of internal and external partners has become a table stake for forward-thinking companies in this marketplace.
    Lori Schafer, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • The enhanced premium tax credits were first available in 2021, then extended a year later, to help more Americans pay for health coverage in the individual marketplace.
    Brewster Bevis, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • Oil prices soared on Friday as Israel and Iran exchanged attacks, making it all but certain that gasoline prices would rise for U.S. drivers within days, industry analysts told ABC News.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 June 2025
  • Energy supplies did not end up in the cross hairs last year when Israel and Iran exchanged missile barrages, according to Citi.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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