as in intermediaries
one who works with opposing sides in order to bring about an agreement
the retired statesman is often asked to be a middleman in international disputes
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Recent Examples of middlemen
The Seafood Market's fishermen deliver their morning catch directly to the kitchen, no middlemen, no frozen Pacific sole flown from Vietnam.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Mark Cuban has left Shark Tank, sold the Dallas Mavericks, and poured more than $100 million into his prescription-drug startup, which is taking on pharmacy middlemen.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Fire the bankers and cut out the Wall Street middlemen sucking value.
—Drew Warshaw, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Now that movies no longer require big studios and powerful middlemen, money is shifting, too.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Scrap prices are set by middlemen who control access to buyers.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Perry’s assistant and his friend, who admitted acting as the actor’s middlemen, are awaiting sentencing.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Consumer groups, independent pharmacies, and drugmakers rightly complained for years that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have used their position as supply chain middlemen to benefit themselves at the expense of patients and payers.
—Neeraj Sood, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026
When these middlemen resisted British pressure, Britain protected its commercial interests mercilessly and violently.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Mark Cuban has left Shark Tank, sold the Dallas Mavericks, and poured more than $100 million into his prescription-drug startup, which is taking on pharmacy middlemen.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Fire the bankers and cut out the Wall Street middlemen sucking value.
—Drew Warshaw, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Now that movies no longer require big studios and powerful middlemen, money is shifting, too.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Scrap prices are set by middlemen who control access to buyers.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Perry’s assistant and his friend, who admitted acting as the actor’s middlemen, are awaiting sentencing.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Consumer groups, independent pharmacies, and drugmakers rightly complained for years that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have used their position as supply chain middlemen to benefit themselves at the expense of patients and payers.
—Neeraj Sood, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026
When these middlemen resisted British pressure, Britain protected its commercial interests mercilessly and violently.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middlemen
Noun
-
Trump then began posting about ongoing talks on social media and speaking to several reporters by phone Friday morning as Pakistani intermediaries updated him on ongoing talks with Iranian officials in Tehran.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
But neither Iran nor countries acting as intermediaries in the conflict have said Tehran has made such an agreement.—
Melanie Lidman,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Alternatively, the staff union suggested calling in mediators from the California State Mediation and Conciliation Service.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The plan, conveyed through mediators in Pakistan to break a stalemate with Washington, calls for extending the ceasefire so the parties can work toward a permanent end to the fighting, Axios said.—
Jon Herskovitz,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But some brokers are skeptical that the sky is actually falling.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The directors of the National Security Agency and the FBI have acknowledged that the agencies buy data on Americans from third-party brokers to use in their investigations.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This time around in talks with studios, union negotiators will be facing a new but familiar opponent on the other side of the table after longtime studio negotiator Carol Lombardini stepped down.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
More than 90% of China-ASEAN trade is in industrial intermediates rather than finished goods, and intra-regional FDI flows now represent roughly half of the FDI stock within the ASEAN+3 region, according to AMRO.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
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Many of the chemical catalysts and intermediates that were used to create commercially popular dyes like sulfur black and crystal violet also made great explosives, as was clear from the conflagrations that would break out with some regularity at dye works.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The award is funded through the district’s partnership with IN*SOURCE was created to recognize the work of FACE liaisons, who serve as the direct connection between the Gary schools and families, a release said.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Researchers found that homeless liaisons often have to cross-check a patchwork of systems to confirm a student’s eligibility and status.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middlemen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middlemen. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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