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
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Superfakes follows a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The jewels may already be traveling through the black market.
—Cameron Schoppa, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black-market
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.
Verb
Two brothers were found guilty on Wednesday of buying tens of millions of dollars worth of black-market HIV drugs and reselling them to numerous pharmacies, including two in Miami Beach.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Superfakes follows a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
These monitors also have insight into some of the grey and black market.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The jewels may already be traveling through the black market.
—Cameron Schoppa, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 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 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share