traffic 1 of 2

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

Relevance

traffic

2 of 2

verb

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of traffic
Noun
Just last month, two Milwaukee legislators introduced a bill to make available $60 million for traffic calming infrastructure to fight reckless driving across the state. Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Hundreds of shops at CST Road are crammed along half a mile of bumpy road with cackling traffic. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
The coalition said the arrests showed federal authorities had listened to their past appeals, but insisted only a broader crackdown under federal racketeering and trafficking laws can dismantle the entrenched networks. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025 And officials have long blamed Venezuela and its leader Nicolás Maduro for heavy cocaine trafficking to the United States, leading to American deaths from drug use. Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for traffic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traffic
Noun
  • Again, as new car sales in Europe are expected to decline, the industry’s growth will increasingly come from lifetime value—whether through connected services, feature upgrades or in-car commerce that extends the customer relationship.
    Hans Kristian Aas, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • And honestly, because art is often tied in with commerce, commodification and fame, saying this can sound privileged, but art can be very necessary for people.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This has forced Russia to lean heavily on China specifically in order to prop up its wartime economy and most importantly, continue trading its most important commodity crude oil.
    Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones’ decision to trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers a week before the 2025 season began certainly raised eyebrows about his role as general manager.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Months after the 2021 policy implementation, Bueckers signed her first NIL deal, a multiyear partnership with apparel and sneaker marketplace StockX.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The company offers a marketplace for home equity loan originators to sell loans on the blockchain, as well as makes home equity loans, some which are backed by cryptocurrency.
    Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Jerry Jones ultimately decided to cut ties with the star linebacker, dealing him to the Green Bay Packers.
    Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The rise of fascism encroaches on her like a disease, culminating in a personal invitation from Mussolini himself, but we’re dealt countless scenes of Eleonora’s psychosis before we’re granted a contextual explanation of what feeds it.
    Blake Simons, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traffic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traffic. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on traffic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!