middleman

noun

mid·​dle·​man ˈmi-dᵊl-ˌman How to pronounce middleman (audio)
Synonyms of middlemannext
: an intermediary or agent between two parties
especially : a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer

Synonyms of middleman

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of middleman in a Sentence

The Internet helps consumers save money by buying products directly from companies and eliminating the middleman. We've cut out the middleman and can reduce prices for our customers. He acted as the middleman in the talks between labor and management.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Industry middlemen acted like a cartel, making sure things never had the potential to change. — Adam Duxter, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 In recent years, some poachers and traders have increasingly turned to middlemen to broker transactions and facilitate sales. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 JPMorgan moved to charge data middlemen including Plaid for access, a dispute that similarly pitted the bank's security concerns against tech firms' demands for access. — Hugh Son, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 Saman admitted to purchasing much of his inventory from brokers or middlemen, which the department identified as illegitimate distributors of the brands. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middleman

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middleman was in 1648

Rhymes for middleman

See All Rhymes for middleman

Browse Nearby Words

Middle Low German
middleman
middle management
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Middleman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middleman. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

middleman

noun
mid·​dle·​man ˈmid-ᵊl-ˌman How to pronounce middleman (audio)
: go-between
especially : a dealer between the producer of goods and the consumer
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All