black-mar·ket
ˈblak-ˈmär-kət 
black-marketed; black-marketing; black-markets
: to buy or sell goods in the black market
: to sell in the black market
: illicit trade in goods or commodities in violation of official regulations
also
: a place where such trade is carried on
Examples of black-market in a Sentence
Noun
The black market in prescription drugs is thriving.
They unloaded the stolen goods on the black market.
Recent Examples on the Web
Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Petty theft and black-market dealings are on the rise, and tensions simmer in overcrowded shelters.
—Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 May 2025
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 June 2025
But unlike in Colorado or California, recreational users in Texas will be largely out of luck — or will turn to the black market, state Democrats argued.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for black-market
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Verb
But National Guard troops have themselves been implicated in various recent scandals, including killing civilians and trafficking in black-market gasoline.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Petty theft and black-market dealings are on the rise, and tensions simmer in overcrowded shelters.
—Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 May 2025
Noun
He was featured in Marquardt’s 2021 report on the exorbitant fees being demanded on the black market to evacuate Afghans during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 June 2025
But unlike in Colorado or California, recreational users in Texas will be largely out of luck — or will turn to the black market, state Democrats argued.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for black-market
Cite this Entry
“Black-market.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-market. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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