black market

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wildlife officers have busted an illegal cockroach-breeding operation in rural Australia, seizing a skin-crawling haul worth more than $100,000 on the black market for exotic bugs.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Romanée-Conti’s high demand and hefty price has also motivated thieves and counterfeiters, helping to foster a black market for rare spirits, where shady dealers and covetous buyers are willing to ignore a bottle’s provenance.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

The caregiver for her elderly mother and a grandchild, she spends much of her time scouring government stores and the black market for food and medicine.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

At around $2,000 on Iran's black market, the terminals are expensive and very rare in poorer regions like Balochistan or Kurdistan that have suffered the most government repression, Alimardani said.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Wasn’t it a hop, skip, and a jump from selling Mother’s goods on the black market to ferrying around documents on her bicycle, to couriering medicines, to smuggling out people?

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman