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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to smuggle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of black market
Kayti Burt, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
On the black market, a single golden lancehead can fetch anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2025
This has led to higher retail prices for products like pre-rolls and vaporizers, potentially pushing consumers toward cheaper, unregulated black-market alternatives.
—Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
The black market surgeon is revealed to be Jeong-min, Ju-yeon’s boyfriend.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
On the black market, a single golden lancehead can fetch anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
The horror film is about a fading celebrity that takes a black-market drug that can temporarily create a younger, better version of herself.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2025
This has led to higher retail prices for products like pre-rolls and vaporizers, potentially pushing consumers toward cheaper, unregulated black-market alternatives.
—Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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Tracking the evolution of Donald Trump's trade war Trump reverses global tariff hikes.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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Trump has frequently accused the EU of abusing the U.S. on trade and of unfairly closing off its market to American businesses.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Read Next National Inmate smuggled fentanyl that killed 2 at Georgia jail, officials say.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2025
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The couple are accused of being part of an international wildlife trafficking network that saw the majority of animals being smuggled into the European Union from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine via the Poland-Belarus border, according to the Guardia Civil.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These are professional shoplifters backed by criminal organizations that plan large-scale thefts and fence the products on the gray market, often selling across state lines or through the internet.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Apr. 2025
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Resellers operating in the gray market have reportedly been using entities registered outside of China to acquire Nvidia’s newest chips, including the Blackwell GPUs—which are prohibited from being sold to Chinese customers—via companies based in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jan Nelson has been bartering with her neighbors in Wisconsin for 40 years.—
Kyle Norris,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2025
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Salim voices its central character, who goes on dangerous missions for the God of Death to barter for the life of his late father.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Insurance carriers are meant to support businesses that operate under constant pressure and complexity.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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In Buy Back Your Time, entrepreneur Dan Martell teaches how to scale your business by outsourcing and delegating strategically.—
Kristen Bousquet,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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In Chicago, as in other major cities, a few high-profile mobsters battled it out for bootlegging supremacy.—
Sarah Holzmann,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Apple was issued with a €500 million ($571 million) fine over its App Store, with the commission saying the company must freely offer alternative app marketplaces to users and app developers.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2025
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According to Salesforce’s November 2024 Consumer Sentiment Survey, 37% of those not buying from Chinese marketplaces cited payment security concerns as their primary reason for hesitation.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Instead, tickets for Saturday’s game can be exchanged — online only — for a similar regular season game.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2025
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Gifts were exchanged, and the Pope wished the King and Queen a happy 20th wedding anniversary, which fell on the same day as their meeting.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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