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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Recent Examples of cartels
From there, the same White House that for months had insisted Venezuela was a dangerous country run by drug cartels dispatched him on yet another of last year’s 76 deportation flights back to South America.
—
Maeva Bambuck, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Maddeningly, the cartels and dealers know just how to capitalize on that overpowering reality of the human condition.
—Sterling Elliott, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
The cheapest and most popular devices — the most interesting to the cartels — are disposable.
—María Verza, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Sandweg also said the Border Patrol has no business operating in a city like Minneapolis because their training is geared more toward encountering drug cartels and migrants along the border.
—Anna Schecter, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Those businesses, in turn, wire millions through financial networks in the United States and abroad to cartels in Mexico, Colombia and other countries, authorities say.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
But the attacks have drawn scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans in Congress, a body that has not authorized attacks on the drug cartels, and condemnation from human rights groups.
—Nate Raymond, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump also renewed his threat to conduct military strikes on land against drug cartels, including in Mexico.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Drug-trafficking networks with links to transnational cartels are active along Ecuador’s coast and have used fishermen and their small boats to transport illicit shipments, according to local police.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Maeva Bambuck, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Maddeningly, the cartels and dealers know just how to capitalize on that overpowering reality of the human condition.
—Sterling Elliott, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
The cheapest and most popular devices — the most interesting to the cartels — are disposable.
—María Verza, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Sandweg also said the Border Patrol has no business operating in a city like Minneapolis because their training is geared more toward encountering drug cartels and migrants along the border.
—Anna Schecter, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Those businesses, in turn, wire millions through financial networks in the United States and abroad to cartels in Mexico, Colombia and other countries, authorities say.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
But the attacks have drawn scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans in Congress, a body that has not authorized attacks on the drug cartels, and condemnation from human rights groups.
—Nate Raymond, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump also renewed his threat to conduct military strikes on land against drug cartels, including in Mexico.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Drug-trafficking networks with links to transnational cartels are active along Ecuador’s coast and have used fishermen and their small boats to transport illicit shipments, according to local police.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cartels
Noun
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Adams put together a portfolio of his workday doodles and sent it to several newspaper syndicates.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
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Outside the capital, guerrilla groups and organized crime syndicates are exploiting the power vacuum along Venezuela’s borders and in its resource-rich interior.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The shift could give major private conglomerates a bigger role in infrastructure, energy and industrial projects long dominated by the state.—
Aniruddha Ghosal,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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But the fashion world was changing fast as major conglomerates like LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton were rising to the fore.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cartels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cartels. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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