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
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Gilbert Villegas, 36th, has introduced an ordinance aimed at the black market for replacement airbags.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 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
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Gilbert Villegas, 36th, has introduced an ordinance aimed at the black market for replacement airbags.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 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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Despite the widespread support in the Assembly, the bill faced a wide array of opposition that included trade groups for large social media companies, organizations that support young people and advocates for digital privacy.
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The Philadelphia 76ers made a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics Wednesday and acquired Jaylen Brown in exchange for Paul George and four draft picks, league sources said.
Verb
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Probation officers and staff members have been charged with smuggling drugs into the facility in the last year.
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In the film, which was based on a Pulitzer Prize nominated memoir, Betty escapes the clutches of her barbaric Iranian husband (played by Alfred Molina) and courageously smuggles herself and her daughter out of Iran.
Noun
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That visibility has fueled a parallel gray market.
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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.
Verb
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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.
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Fromage fest One of the oldest cheese shops in Paris, Fromagerie La Fontaine has been bartering its bries and bleus since 1890.
Noun
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Flames raced through rows of vehicles at a Rancho Cordova salvage yard Friday evening, engulfing between 50 and 100 vehicles before more than 70 firefighters contained the blaze and kept it from spreading to neighboring businesses.
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There were no signs of rodents at any businesses during this inspection period, but dead roaches were found at Conservatory at Plano, at 6401 Ohio Drive.
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!
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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.
Noun
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In addition to music and fireworks, Pittsburgh's Independence Day Celebration is set to feature family-friendly activities, food vendors, a vendor marketplace, a hot air balloon, a Ferris wheel, veterans wellness resources and more.
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The corporate leadership stated that utilizing additive manufacturing allows the organization to reduce the standard timelines required to bring new power generation designs to the commercial marketplace.
Verb
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Bryan West Moments after Swift and Kelce exchanged vows, rain and flashes of lightning swept across Manhattan outside Madison Square Garden.
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Shortly after the couple exchanged vows at Madison Square Garden, their names went up in lights—literally.
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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