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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as in to smuggle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of black market
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
What was harder to foresee was the black market’s roaring growth in the shadow of that legalization.
—Lavanya Ramanathan, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2024
This priority is so all-consuming that even the already reed-like Kristina seeks dangerous extra credit, dumping her dinners outside her bedroom window, and procuring a black-market tapeworm to further hollow out her insides.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for black market 
Noun
Critics warn of potential abuse and the possibility of a black market.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
What was harder to foresee was the black market’s roaring growth in the shadow of that legalization.
—Lavanya Ramanathan, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
The dynamic in Antioch is a microcosm of greater California, where lax laws on black-market weed are doing little to change the state’s status as a gargantuan producer of it.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2024
This priority is so all-consuming that even the already reed-like Kristina seeks dangerous extra credit, dumping her dinners outside her bedroom window, and procuring a black-market tapeworm to further hollow out her insides.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for black market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black market
Noun
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The two seamlessly trade roles, each adding new layers to the track.Quincy Green, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2024
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Currently, 10 states, including Florida, have any such mandate, according to the American Staffing Association, a trade group for the staffing industry.Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Flashback: Y'all remember when someone tried to smuggle meth in Zatarain's seafood boil seasoning?Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 21 Nov. 2024
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All have benefited from training provided by U.S. personnel on nuclear and radiological detection, identifying techniques for smuggling weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and how to conduct chemical terrorism investigations.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Of course, some gray markets use bitcoin in the West, too, where industries may be legal, but the banks frown on them, like marijuana sales in some states and countries and things like that.Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
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Sans introduced the elephant in the room — the gray market — which has fueled revenues for independent retailers for the past 10 years.Martino Carrera, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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The old town medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and crowds jostle to examine products laid out in the streets and hear the sound of bartering in more languages than can be named.Elle Benson Easton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024
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But states such as India and Egypt rejected the legitimacy of the UN embargo, and Beijing was able to barter (often on disadvantageous terms) with countries such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka in order to avoid isolation.Timothy Nunan, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2017
Noun
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Meanwhile, technology has propelled the creation of robust accounting software to meet the needs of today’s businesses.William Mullane, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
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In 2006 Arrillaga and his business partner Richard Peery sold slightly less than half of their portfolio to Deutsche Bank for $1.1 billion.Paolo Confino, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
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This was the era of Prohibition, dominated by bootlegging gangsters—Chicago alone was said to be home to 1,300 gangs—and some police departments adopted increasingly brutal tactics to wring the truth out of suspects: beating and burning detainees with cigarettes, or depriving them of sleep.Susan Saulny, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
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Land of the Free, Home of the Bootleggers When technology made music mobile, the American South changed from one type of bootlegging industry to another: copying and selling records.JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Noun
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Seeing an opportunity to tap into people’s emotions and wallets, online stores and marketplaces selling political merchandise now sell merchandise with not only a candidate’s name but also quotes, taglines, facial images and more.Rytis Lauris, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
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Sources indicated that some of those profits could be used to scoop up other cable outlets to consolidate the new firm’s clout in the marketplace.Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Initiatives like Hero House create spaces where founders, researchers, and investors come together to exchange ideas and build lasting connections.Melissa Houston, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
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After the ceremony, big hugs and shouts of excitement were exchanged, and guests were transported to the Rosewood Mansion via a quick five-minute shuttle ride for the reception.Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near black market
Cite this Entry
“Black market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20market. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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