as in syndicates
a number of businesses or enterprises united for commercial advantage
a cartel of oil-producing nations that controls production and influences prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cartels
This can be seen in how Trump called for the designation of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in 2020.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
Cocaine production in Colombia has soared as the government takes a hands-off approach to coca cultivation, fueling a wave of violence across Latin America as cartels vie for control of trafficking routes.
—semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump signed a secret directive this summer ordering the Pentagon to use deadly force against Latin American drug cartels, which his administration have identified as terrorist organizations.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
Green Berets and Army Rangers have been busted trafficking cocaine on military planes, dealing drugs at Fort Bragg, working for Mexican cartels, stealing military weapons, committing murders for hire, and carrying out at least two mass shootings.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Patel said cartels should be confronted with the same urgency as al Qaeda after 9/11 and pledged years of sustained action.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
And yet, this was only one group of stateside traffickers that received dope from the Colombian cartels.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
Then there were his attacks on nuclear sites in Iran and his constant threats to send troops to root out cartels in Mexico.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
The matter of cracking down on politicians linked to the cartels was reportedly a sticking point in the otherwise jolly Sheinbaum-Rubio meeting, according to La Politica Online.
—Alex González Ormerod, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Brittney Melton, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
Cocaine production in Colombia has soared as the government takes a hands-off approach to coca cultivation, fueling a wave of violence across Latin America as cartels vie for control of trafficking routes.
—semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump signed a secret directive this summer ordering the Pentagon to use deadly force against Latin American drug cartels, which his administration have identified as terrorist organizations.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
Green Berets and Army Rangers have been busted trafficking cocaine on military planes, dealing drugs at Fort Bragg, working for Mexican cartels, stealing military weapons, committing murders for hire, and carrying out at least two mass shootings.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Patel said cartels should be confronted with the same urgency as al Qaeda after 9/11 and pledged years of sustained action.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
And yet, this was only one group of stateside traffickers that received dope from the Colombian cartels.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
Then there were his attacks on nuclear sites in Iran and his constant threats to send troops to root out cartels in Mexico.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
The matter of cracking down on politicians linked to the cartels was reportedly a sticking point in the otherwise jolly Sheinbaum-Rubio meeting, according to La Politica Online.
—Alex González Ormerod, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartels
Noun
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Behind these scams, according to the Commission's findings, Chinese crime syndicates have aligned themselves with Beijing's geopolitical agenda.—
Mike Kuiken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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These scam centers mushroomed especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, when Chinese criminal syndicates found a new use for empty casinos and hotels.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Since Nomad’s inception, Bellavance-Lecompte and his cofounder Giorgio Pace, an avant-garde curator, have seen the fair resonate in the fashion world, while drawing chief executive officers from the sector’s biggest conglomerates.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
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In recent years, a growing number of health care providers have been acquired by health system conglomerates or private equity.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cartels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartels. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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