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
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
Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Maybe dinosaurs will become highly desirable black-market items for those seeking exotic pets or cutting-edge weapons.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 July 2025
Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Americana, which also stars Paul Walter Hauser and pop singer Halsey, follows local outsiders and outcasts in a small South Dakota town whose lives violently intertwine after a rare artifact falls onto the black market.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black-market
Noun
At the ghetto wall, German soldiers shoot at Jewish children who had tunnelled beneath to find black-market exchanges.
—Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Maybe dinosaurs will become highly desirable black-market items for those seeking exotic pets or cutting-edge weapons.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 July 2025
Verb
The crime thriller, which also features Halsey, Paul Walter Hauser and Eric Dane, follows the story of North Dakota outsiders who clash over the possession of a rare Native American artifact, which lands on the black market.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Americana, which also stars Paul Walter Hauser and pop singer Halsey, follows local outsiders and outcasts in a small South Dakota town whose lives violently intertwine after a rare artifact falls onto the black market.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black-market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black-market
Noun
-
He was acquired, along with closer Victor Vodnik, in a July 2023 trade with the Braves for reliever Pierce Johnson.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 Sep. 2025
-
European businesses will be closely watching that meeting, as China is the EU’s second-largest goods partner with trade standing at $732 billion euros in 2024.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The horns, smuggled from Angola, were seized, and the Vietnamese national involved was arrested.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Slightly, meanwhile, targets Joe as his patsy to smuggle a Xenomorph embryo out of Prodigy, still resentful that Wendy’s family is here safely while his mother is far away and being threatened by Morrow.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
New research is shedding light on the inner workings of the multimillion-dollar gray market for video game cheats.—
Lily Hay Newman,
Wired News,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Riz Ahmed’s Ash is the relay mastermind who will barter the deal, keep Sarah alive from reprisals and handle the sizable cash payment.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Indeed, social media platforms drive roughly 80% of total online traffic in the country and serve as vital channels for business and communication.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The agreement aims to bolster US-UK collaboration between trillion-dollar tech sectors, enhancing opportunities for businesses and consumers.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
According to online marketplace Auto Trader, JLR took the top slot on its new car platform in August and is vying for a similar position in September with almost a million ad views in the two months.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The family festival and artisan faire celebrates German culture with live entertainment, including Bavarian music and dance troupes, German food, international refreshments, two beer gardens and a marketplace with 125 local artisan vendors.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Three weeks later in London, the same service required a bank transfer – no cash accepted, no cards processed, just account details exchanged securely and payment completed in seconds.—
Penny Lee,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Parents lined up on a sidewalk outside Bergen Meadow Elementary School, waiting to reunite with their children, exchanging hugs and quiet conversation.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Black-market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black-market. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share