black market 1 of 2

as in trade
a system through which things are bought and sold illegally The black market in prescription drugs is thriving. They unloaded the stolen goods on the black market.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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black-market

2 of 2

verb

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 black market
Noun
The black market surgeon is revealed to be Jeong-min, Ju-yeon’s boyfriend. Kayti Burt, Time, 4 Apr. 2025 The price of Iran’s currency, the rial, rallied slightly against the dollar on the black market. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
The horror film is about a fading celebrity that takes a black-market drug that can temporarily create a younger, better version of herself. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2025 This has led to higher retail prices for products like pre-rolls and vaporizers, potentially pushing consumers toward cheaper, unregulated black-market alternatives. Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
  • The president has invoked the act on the theory that trade imbalances are a national emergency.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Ministers must urgently prioritise this as part of the trade negotiations currently underway.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • Khan successfully smuggled information, photos, blueprints, and even components of the centrifuges to the Pakistan embassy in the Netherlanda before successfully escaping to lead the program.
    Davis Winkie, USA Today, 8 May 2025
  • The woman allegedly smuggled ballots under her shirt and switched vehicles to avoid detection.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • Additionally, appropriate pricing strategies can assist in mitigating some of the challenges associated with the gray market.
    Bhavesh Gupta, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Mercenary spyware firms employ highly skilled engineers to either develop in-house or purchase software vulnerabilities from gray market firms, known as exploits or zero days, of which manufacturers of consumer devices and applications are not yet aware.
    Ronald J. Deibert, Foreign Affairs, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, the goal is to open the door to the possibility of bartering.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 15 Apr. 2025
  • While dolphin meat is eaten and bartered with neighboring islands for food, betel nuts and other products, the teeth are the true prize of the hunt.
    Prianka Srinivasan Matthew Abbott, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Students involved in crafting the ordinance acknowledged that the cost of buying non-plastic goods will be higher for local businesses.
    Shawn P. Sullivan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
  • The streaming growth was offset by notable declines in the traditional business, including an 11% year-over-year drop in linear advertising.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • In 1920s Anaheim, the big local issue was bootlegging and Catholics, who were seen as foreigners in what was supposed to be an Anglo-Saxon Protestant country.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
  • In Chicago, as in other major cities, a few high-profile mobsters battled it out for bootlegging supremacy.
    Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The ad exchange is the world's largest marketplace for bidding on advertising space.
    Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025
  • In avoiding pricey sports programming, the service positioned itself similarly to Philo TV, which has cracked the 1 million subscriber mark after a longer run in the marketplace.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • Peer groups, mastermind circles and business communities can provide a transformative space to exchange ideas and problem-solve.
    Hao Lam, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • In the most significant escalation in years, India and Pakistan have exchanged gunfire and airstrikes.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

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