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
Relevance
as in to smuggle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of black market
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Exorbitant black market prices for rare wildlife specimens and body parts provide funding for terrorist groups, drug cartels and criminal organizations.
—Bradley J. Cardinale, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
Ted’s packages containing those goods purchased from a black-market vendor lead Michelle and Cosmo to New Mexico.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Noun
On the black market, a single golden lancehead can fetch anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Exorbitant black market prices for rare wildlife specimens and body parts provide funding for terrorist groups, drug cartels and criminal organizations.
—Bradley J. Cardinale, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
Now, Keats hawks black-market goods with his mecha-sidekick Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie), who suffers from Insufferable Wisecracking Comic Relief Syndrome.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
Ted’s packages containing those goods purchased from a black-market vendor lead Michelle and Cosmo to New Mexico.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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Tracking the evolution of Donald Trump's trade war Trump reverses global tariff hikes.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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With a trade war kicking off, a lot of the raw materials and finished products in clean energy are likely to get more expensive.—
Umair Irfan,
Vox,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Released in 2023, Season 1 of The Last of Us found Joel (Pascal) smuggling an immune teen, Ellie (Ramsey), out of the quarantine zone and across a post-apocalyptic America.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Multiple victims were also minors, and at least two were smuggled into the U.S. unaccompanied by a relative or legal guardian, according to the Justice Department.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These are professional shoplifters backed by criminal organizations that plan large-scale thefts and fence the products on the gray market, often selling across state lines or through the internet.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Apr. 2025
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Resellers operating in the gray market have reportedly been using entities registered outside of China to acquire Nvidia’s newest chips, including the Blackwell GPUs—which are prohibited from being sold to Chinese customers—via companies based in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jan Nelson has been bartering with her neighbors in Wisconsin for 40 years.—
Kyle Norris,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2025
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Salim voices its central character, who goes on dangerous missions for the God of Death to barter for the life of his late father.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Tourism destinations hit by natural disasters need visitors in order for local people and businesses to survive.—
Shoshi Parks,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
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Brandon Silverstein Climbs to Music Industry Summit For Silverstein, the appointment caps a meteoric rise in the music business.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Noun
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Apple was issued with a €500 million ($571 million) fine over its App Store, with the commission saying the company must freely offer alternative app marketplaces to users and app developers.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2025
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According to Salesforce’s November 2024 Consumer Sentiment Survey, 37% of those not buying from Chinese marketplaces cited payment security concerns as their primary reason for hesitation.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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By establishing a common language for inter-agent interaction, A2A allows agents to securely exchange information, coordinate actions and collaborate dynamically without sharing memory or tools.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Her relationship with her husband Michael is more forward-facing, with the two often exchanging playful banter on the Him & Her podcast.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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