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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as in to smuggle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of black market
Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2025
On the flip side, conservative free market groups and law enforcement associations argue the proposal would amount to a ban on cigarettes, supercharging a black market for illicit products.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Many will recognize him as a big-dino hunter in The Lost World (1997), a German nihilist in The Big Lebowski, a diabolical black-market eye surgeon in Minority Report (2002), or the devil himself in Constantine (2005).
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
The Silk Road was a black market website that could only be accessed via using the not-always-perfectly-private Tor browser.
—Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2025
On the flip side, conservative free market groups and law enforcement associations argue the proposal would amount to a ban on cigarettes, supercharging a black market for illicit products.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
Not long afterward, Garner began to transition, purchasing black-market estrogen.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Many will recognize him as a big-dino hunter in The Lost World (1997), a German nihilist in The Big Lebowski, a diabolical black-market eye surgeon in Minority Report (2002), or the devil himself in Constantine (2005).
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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If Devers and the Red Sox can't figure this out, the star could request a trade out of Boston.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
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As the trade deadline approached, your name was included in more rumors than normal.—
Eric Nehm,
The Athletic,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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For example, the new government has banned flights from Iran into Lebanon after Israel threatened to shoot down any planes suspected of being used to smuggle contraband into the country.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Police said that the amount of cocaine the man had allegedly been trying to smuggle through the airport had been valued at more than 10,000 euros (just under $10,500), per a Monday, Feb. 24 news release.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And of the many unlicensed home care aides who work in gray market, many are immigrants, including many who are undocumented.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
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There are also active gray markets on Chinese apps and e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia, where popular and rare dolls sell at several times their original prices.—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune Asia,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The intrigue: Women, who comprise half of NFL fans, are more likely (51%) than men (46%) to barter away their future romantic happiness for a championship parade, the survey found. 💭 Our thought bubble: Very many Austinites — maybe a majority?—
Isaac Avilucea,
Axios,
7 Feb. 2025
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Stunning stat: Women, who comprise half of NFL fans, are more likely (51%) than men (46%) to barter away their future romantic happiness for a championship parade, the survey found.—
Shafaq Patel,
Axios,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Jackson allegedly lied during a civil deposition about receiving secret funding for his trucking business from a powerful waste-hauling firm, according to federal prosecutors.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2025
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Although some of the Westerners who engaged in lucrative business in Russia expressed concern over Putin’s unchallenged primacy in presiding over the arbitrary redistribution of property and the rapid consolidation of state ownership, the squeamish were far outnumbered by the opportunistic.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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Living in Woodstock, New York, Dylan spent a lot of time in nearby Saugerties at the Band’s famous Big Pink house, recording dozens of songs that were heavily bootlegged and sometimes sent to other artists to record.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
25 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Bluewater Known for building tribal brand loyalty and trust while driving sales, Bluewater helps brands thrive in a competitive marketplace.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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Consider which online marketplaces will have the most books that interest you.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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During season five’s ballet party, Gina and Mosley exchanged a look that alluded to either an existing affair or a future one.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
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During a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Brazil in November 2023, Messi and Rodrygo exchanged insults.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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