Synonyms of traffic

traffic 1 of 2

noun

ˈtra-fik 

as in commerce

the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places

they contributed money to an environmental group that works to end the traffic of endangered animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• commerce
• marketplace
• trade
• business
• dealings
• free trade
• black market
• gray market
• merchandising
• retailing
• horse-trading
• wholesaling
• bartering
• e-tail

traffic

2 of 2

verb

as in to trade

to carry on the business of buying and selling goods or other property

arrested him for trafficking in drugs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• trade
• deal
• negotiate
• sell
• smuggle
• merchandise
• exchange
• market
• retail
• transact
• purchase
• bargain
• supply
• wholesale
• swap
• buy
• auction
• barter
• fence
• horse-trade
• resell
• peddle
• distribute
• invest
• vend
• corner
• take
• monopolize
• pick up
• bootleg
• black-market
• speculate
• engross
• undersell
• rebuy
• day-trade
• fair-trade

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• boycott
• black
• blackball

Synonym Chooser

How is the word traffic distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of traffic are business, commerce, industry, and trade. While all these words mean "activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities," traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Where would business be a reasonable alternative to traffic?

While the synonyms business and traffic are close in meaning, business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

How are the words commerce and trade related as synonyms of traffic?

Both commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

When would industry be a good substitute for traffic?

The words industry and traffic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of traffic

Noun

On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered air carriers to ultimately reduce flights by 10% at 40 high traffic airports across the country because of the federal government shutdown and staffing shortages in air traffic control. —Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025

Duffy said the air traffic control staffing shortage would only get worse as the shutdown carries on, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make further reductions to air traffic. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

Verb

Tesfay claims that he himself was trafficked by Kidane’s network – a victim, not a perpetrator. —Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

The request comes amid the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing bipartisan investigation into Epstein, the late financier who allegedly trafficked scores of women and underaged girls to his rich, powerful and politically connected friends. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025