as in syndicates
a number of businesses or enterprises united for commercial advantage
a cartel of oil-producing nations that controls production and influences prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cartels
Manzo had stood on an anti-corruption ticket and opposition to cartels.
—
Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
While administration officials have avoided overtly saying their goal is regime change — Trump has focused his public remarks on fighting drug cartels — the ultimate goal of democratizing Venezuela, and the resulting investment benefits, are front and center in investors’ minds.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The Miami Herald reported Friday, citing unnamed officials, the potential strikes would aim to ax the hierarchy of the drug cartels in Venezuela.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2025
In the 1980s and ’90s, Colombia’s cocaine cartels controlled entire regions through intimidation, corruption and fear tactics that are nearly identical to what’s now unfolding in parts of Mexico.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
In a city like Tijuana, where law enforcement is already under-resourced and outgunned, this new aerial threat tilts the balance even further toward the cartels.
—Tania Navarro, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
The White House, meanwhile, defended the new military offensive, stating that Trump is simply following through on his promises to combat cartels and, in doing so, is providing more transparency than past presidents.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Then came fentanyl in the 1950s, created not by cartels but by a doctor at his startup Janssen Pharmaceutica, which was later absorbed by Johnson & Johnson in 1961.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
This designation authorizes the federal government to take further steps to deny people and entities associated with these cartels access to the United States financial system.
—Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
While administration officials have avoided overtly saying their goal is regime change — Trump has focused his public remarks on fighting drug cartels — the ultimate goal of democratizing Venezuela, and the resulting investment benefits, are front and center in investors’ minds.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The Miami Herald reported Friday, citing unnamed officials, the potential strikes would aim to ax the hierarchy of the drug cartels in Venezuela.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2025
In the 1980s and ’90s, Colombia’s cocaine cartels controlled entire regions through intimidation, corruption and fear tactics that are nearly identical to what’s now unfolding in parts of Mexico.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
In a city like Tijuana, where law enforcement is already under-resourced and outgunned, this new aerial threat tilts the balance even further toward the cartels.
—Tania Navarro, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
The White House, meanwhile, defended the new military offensive, stating that Trump is simply following through on his promises to combat cartels and, in doing so, is providing more transparency than past presidents.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Then came fentanyl in the 1950s, created not by cartels but by a doctor at his startup Janssen Pharmaceutica, which was later absorbed by Johnson & Johnson in 1961.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
This designation authorizes the federal government to take further steps to deny people and entities associated with these cartels access to the United States financial system.
—Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartels
Noun
-
Outside the capital, guerrilla groups and organized crime syndicates are exploiting the power vacuum along Venezuela’s borders and in its resource-rich interior.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Many of the scam compounds operating across Southeast Asia are run by Chinese crime syndicates.—
Ladan Anoushfar,
CNN Money,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That forward-thinking approach can be attributed to late chairman Lee Kun-Hee, who pushed Samsung, one of the mega-conglomerates or chaebols that dominate South Korea’s economy, to ditch its reputation as a fast follower and compete with the best companies in consumer tech.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
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New Delhi’s opposition politicians, though, argued the changes will only benefit a handful of conglomerates — the Adani Group, the Tata Group, and Reliance Industries — who already enjoy considerable control over Indian industry.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
19 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cartels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartels. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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