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 latest move by Taipei — a central node in global semiconductor manufacturing — is a significant step in curtailing black market sales to Chinese companies seeking to bypass US curbs. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Coverage of the same census in the ISHRS journal flagged a growing black market in hair restoration as one of the notable trends of 2024. — William Jones, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026

Verb

Carts allegedly operating as black-market, private-hire vehicles can be banned from the streets for over a month, or drivers slapped with 4,000-euro ($4,600) fines for unlicensed tour guiding. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 As Collin presents the French side of the Occupation, the Parisians are either victims, black-market opportunists, or accomplices of one sort or another. — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for black market

Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market

Noun

Meyers' thinking is that as the odds go up of a Democratic party win, investors are getting more nervous about parts of the artificial intelligence trade.

— Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
Those options reportedly include tighter economic sanctions and expanding restrictions on Iranian trade.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of trade

Verb

Kseniia Petrov was accused of smuggling frog embryos into the United States.

— Laura Romero, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
Researchers found that metal goods continued to be smuggled despite strict government restrictions, raising the possibility that authorities deliberately turned a blind eye to the practice.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of smuggle

Noun

Currently, some consumers get them through an unregulated gray market, without ever consulting a physician — a potentially risky option.

— Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
Unproven but popular peptides touted for wellness have been available on the gray market, despite an official ban.

— Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 28 Oct. 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

Together, those businesses span much of a card’s commercial journey — grading, pricing, storage, sales and even financing against collectibles.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
The commissioner oversees an office with 1,400 employees that regulates more than 1,700 home, auto, workers’ compensation and other insurers, as well as more than 510,000 agents, brokers, adjusters, bail agents and other business entities.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 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

The vault links storage with selling through external marketplaces, including eBay.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Chicago The Windy City tops the US ranking for walkability from Preply, a language learning marketplace that runs walkability studies across the US, Europe, and Asia.

— Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of marketplace

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 9 Nov. 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

wabi-sabi

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes