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
Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
As a consequence of the initial 2014 ban and doubling down in 2015, there is a thriving black market in Russia for high-end foods that are no longer legally available—chief among them, cheese.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
The Shelby Township Police Department seized nearly 1,000 pounds of black-market marijuana, weapons and other items while serving a search warrant on March 13, 2026 at a home in the township.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
Van Zeller, 50, has won dozens of awards for the program that has taken her around the world to report on black market activities and human trafficking.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
As a consequence of the initial 2014 ban and doubling down in 2015, there is a thriving black market in Russia for high-end foods that are no longer legally available—chief among them, cheese.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026
Verb
Superfakes is about a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld in order to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
The Shelby Township Police Department seized nearly 1,000 pounds of black-market marijuana, weapons and other items while serving a search warrant on March 13, 2026 at a home in the township.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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The trade brought the two-time WNBA All-Star and 2023 national champion to an Atlanta team coming off what the franchise called a historic 2025 season.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2026
-
Without a strong run in the next few weeks, a trade deadline sell-off is a distinct possibility for Tigers President Scott Harris, a former Theo Epstein protégé with the Cubs.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Perhaps one of them smuggled some fish into the house and gave Varsha a taste behind the family’s back?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
In 2023, a then-medical assistant working for Avid Healthcare Services was charged with smuggling meth into the jail.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The exploit allowed hackers to take over and flip valuable Instagram accounts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the gray market before Meta implemented an emergency patch on May 29.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
-
Soon, a thriving gray market emerged, with BPC-157 as one of its stars.—
Sara Talpos — Undark,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Bac Ha is one of the busiest and most visually striking markets in its region, drawing multiple ethnic minority groups who barter and sell their goods each week.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
-
One of the busiest and most visually striking markets in the region, Bac Ha draws multiple ethnic minority groups who barter and sell their goods each week.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The federal government, parliament and EconomieSuisse, a major business association, oppose the idea.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
That opened access to low-interest loans for homeowners, businesses and nonprofits but not grants for personal expenses like temporary housing.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 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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The great deregulation of religion led to a thriving marketplace, forcing churches to innovate and to compete for customers.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
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The big festival features a day of live music and DJs, a marketplace with Black vendors, food and drinks, games, and other activities (with tickets starting at $28).—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The players could be seen exchanging words throughout their match-up and, at one point during the second quarter, Harrison swatted at the ball being held by Reese after play had already been stopped.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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Now, billions of dollars are exchanged on the platform every year, and 2025 was no exception.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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