gray market

noun

Definition of gray marketnext
as in black market

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gray market But the gray market exploded several years ago, after the FDA placed many of them on a list that prohibited compounding pharmacies from making them due to safety concerns. — Will Stone, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 Currently, some consumers get them online from a risky, unregulated gray market, without ever consulting a physician. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026 Recently, Overton has been involved in drafting new policies for the use of peptides, short chains of amino acids that are available on the gray market but that, in many cases, have scant scientific evidence to support their safety or efficacy. — Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 Allowing the peptides to be compounded, Kennedy has argued, would move people away from the gray market and toward safer products. — Sara G. Miller, NBC news, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gray market
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gray market
  1. black market
  2. free trade
Noun
  • Malawi launched a nationwide crackdown on fuel hoarders and black market sellers as the nation struggles with shortages that have left truckers queuing for up to a week and bus fares doubling on some routes.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Coverage of the same census in the ISHRS journal flagged a growing black market in hair restoration as one of the notable trends of 2024.
    — William Jones, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of black market
Noun
  • Reagan’s outreach to his Canadian counterpart, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, encouraged Mulroney to propose an expansive free trade agreement in 1985.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
  • America’s role as the global leader of free trade has of course been undermined by Trump in numerous ways.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of free trade

Browse Nearby Words

grayish
gray market
gray matter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gray market.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gray%20market. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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

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