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
Drug-trafficking networks with links to transnational cartels are active along Ecuador’s coast and have used fishermen and their small boats to transport illicit shipments, according to local police.
—
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
In their charging documents, prosecutors allege Maduro, his wife and his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, engaged in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and partnered with cartels designated as terrorist groups.
—Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
Since 2021, Ecuador has experienced growing criminal violence by gangs operating in coordination with Colombian and Mexican cartels involved in drug trafficking.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
But Trump’s description of the Mexican trafficking world – one dominated by a few cartels that can be swiftly defeated – is at odds with how the crime organizations actually operate, experts say.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Flying coach while cracking down on cartels The decision is particularly striking given Luckey’s profile and the security risks associated with his work.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
The same is true of military efforts to go after cartels.
—Jennifer Kavanagh, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
The Ford had spent the past days resupplying and regrouping with its strike group elements in the Mediterranean Sea, according to ship-tracking data, ahead of its retasking to the Caribbean Sea, where the United States is staging a major military campaign against drug cartels in Venezuela.
—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
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
In their charging documents, prosecutors allege Maduro, his wife and his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, engaged in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and partnered with cartels designated as terrorist groups.
—Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
Since 2021, Ecuador has experienced growing criminal violence by gangs operating in coordination with Colombian and Mexican cartels involved in drug trafficking.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
But Trump’s description of the Mexican trafficking world – one dominated by a few cartels that can be swiftly defeated – is at odds with how the crime organizations actually operate, experts say.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Flying coach while cracking down on cartels The decision is particularly striking given Luckey’s profile and the security risks associated with his work.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
The same is true of military efforts to go after cartels.
—Jennifer Kavanagh, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
The Ford had spent the past days resupplying and regrouping with its strike group elements in the Mediterranean Sea, according to ship-tracking data, ahead of its retasking to the Caribbean Sea, where the United States is staging a major military campaign against drug cartels in Venezuela.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartels
Noun
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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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The shift could give major private conglomerates a bigger role in infrastructure, energy and industrial projects long dominated by the state.—
Aniruddha Ghosal,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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But the fashion world was changing fast as major conglomerates like LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton were rising to the fore.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cartels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartels. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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