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.

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black-market

2 of 2

verb

as in to smuggle

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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

In the Siberian city of Irkutsk, police fined four people on Monday, accusing them of reselling gas on the black market at inflated prices, according to the region’s Interior Ministry. — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 This new black market first emerged nearly as soon as ChatGPT’s release, gaining steam three to five years ago along with the AI buildout, said David Warrick, executive vice president of supply-chain risk management firm Overhaul. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026

Verb

Now, the shutdown has stoked high prices for black-market VPNs. — ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026 Since 2011, Syria has lost 85 percent of its gross domestic product; 90 percent of the population is poor and relies on black-market imports from Turkey. — Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for black market

Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market

Noun

The Charlotte Hornets coach is already impressed with the demeanor and mentality of Naz Reid, the player swapped along with draft pick compensation in the trade sending LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota.

— Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
John Schreiber The MLB trade deadline is always kind to high-leverage relievers.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Definition of trade

Verb

They were repatriated through cooperation between Indonesia’s Culture Ministry and the FBI after provenance research established the objects had been smuggled out of Indonesia, Zon said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
They were repatriated through cooperation between the FBI and the ministry after provenance research established that they had been smuggled out of Indonesia, Zon added.

— Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of smuggle

Noun

In addition to that very concerning laundry list of potential side effects, people are currently buying Melanotan II and its peptide peers from unregulated online sources, also known as the gray market.

— Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 July 2026
That visibility has fueled a parallel gray market.

— Allison Palmer Updated June 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026

Definition of gray market

Verb

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
Fromage fest One of the oldest cheese shops in Paris, Fromagerie La Fontaine has been bartering its bries and bleus since 1890.

— Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026

Definition of barter

Noun

Under her tenure, visitor counts doubled to 17 million in 2025, according to Sundance Square, and roughly 60 businesses now operate in the district.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026
Summerland Cafe is the first concept to open at the farmers market, which will have a variety of stalls featuring local growers, butchers and other food businesses once it debuts.

— Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of business

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

Definition of bootleg

Verb

Its inhabitants remain largely indifferent to the independence movement; village elders reason that freedom will benefit the educated while cultivators will merely exchange one set of masters for another.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
The pair are said to have exchanged shoves and throws before prison guards were able to separate them.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, VIBE.com, 24 July 2026

Definition of exchange

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Style

“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of black market

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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