black market 1 of 2

noun

Definition of black marketnext
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.

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black-market

2 of 2

verb

as in to smuggle

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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 latest move by Taipei — a central node in global semiconductor manufacturing — is a significant step in curtailing black market sales to Chinese companies seeking to bypass US curbs. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Coverage of the same census in the ISHRS journal flagged a growing black market in hair restoration as one of the notable trends of 2024. — William Jones, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
Carts allegedly operating as black-market, private-hire vehicles can be banned from the streets for over a month, or drivers slapped with 4,000-euro ($4,600) fines for unlicensed tour guiding. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 As Collin presents the French side of the Occupation, the Parisians are either victims, black-market opportunists, or accomplices of one sort or another. — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
  1. trade
  2. smuggle
  3. gray market
  4. barter
  5. business
  6. bootleg
  7. marketplace
  8. exchange
Noun
  • Trucks have piled up at borders as Iran's trade shifts to overland.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • That view is held by 59% of employers in information, 53% in financial activities, and 49% each in trade, transportation and utilities and in education and health services.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of trade
Verb
  • The couple was involved in transactions that saw American black bear gallbladders and cougar bones being smuggled into Vietnam, as well as black and white rhinoceros horns, lion teeth and a tiger pelt being illegally imported to Oregon.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Amnesty has reported abuses against miners in areas taken over by M23 and alleged that gold and coltan are smuggled into Rwanda.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of smuggle
Noun
  • The demand has grown so high that an underground gray market has flourished in delivering those cult-classic burgers to hungry customers.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The buzz around retatrutide has contributed to a thriving gray market serving people looking for serious weight loss who aren’t interested in waiting for the FDA to approve the drug.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of gray market
Verb
  • In the second-season finale, some time after Aemond had killed Rhaenyra’s son Luke, Alicent arrives in secret to Dragonstone to barter Aegon’s life in exchange for peace, and safety in particular for her daughter (and Aegon’s wife) Helaena.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Through three tedious roll calls, Roosevelt forces bartered with delegations and finally put their man over the top on the fourth try when House Speaker John Nance Garner folded his candidacy in exchange for the vice presidential nomination.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
Definition of barter
Noun
  • Constant reports of corruption and profiteering are a hallmark of his second term, and Democrats are readying literally countless investigations of him and his family, and their businesses and associates.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Meaningfully reducing property tax bills for Illinois homeowners and businesses would require the state to take on a much larger share of the cost of elementary and secondary education, likely through the income tax or sales taxes.
    — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of business
Verb
  • After the songs were bootlegged for years, Coe began selling them on his website in 2000, though without his name on them.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
  • With Dallas leading 27-21 and San Francisco driving late in the fourth quarter, Joe Montana and the 49ers lined up in a split formation, with Montana bootlegging out to the right upon taking the snap.
    — R.J. Coyle, Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
Definition of bootleg
Noun
  • With the major powers heading to the moon, low-Earth orbit becoming busier than ever, and countless new companies entering the space marketplace, the hiring pipeline is more critical than ever.
    — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As a result of sticker shock, Ohio saw the biggest drop — tied with Oklahoma for the most in the nation — in the number of people enrolled in the marketplace last year, with a nearly 33% decline in enrollment.
    — Saige Miller, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of marketplace
Verb
  • Meeting colleagues from neighboring industries, exchanging experiences and tips, and hopefully building a small network of like-minded people in the region.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
  • After exchanging vows, the newlyweds slipped away for their first Champagne toast as husband and wife.
    — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of exchange

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blackmails
black market
black-market
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Cite this Entry

“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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