corner the market
To monopolize a resource or commodity, as with the intent of driving up prices.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They want to corner the market on these rare toys.”
“By buying up all the local supply of grain, the company managed to corner the market and raise prices significantly.”
“The corporation used aggressive tactics to corner the market, effectively preventing any smaller competitors from gaining a foothold in the industry.”
first recorded 19th c.
To 'corner' someone once meant to drive them into a literal corner, where they had no escape — and that is the picture behind cornering a market: buying up enough of a commodity to control its supply, dictate the price, and leave rivals with nowhere to turn. The tactic is ancient. Aristotle tells of Thales of Miletus, who quietly secured every olive press in his region before a bumper harvest, then charged whatever he liked.
The financial phrase itself emerged in early-19th-century American trading, with 'corner the market' first recorded in 1836. Its most infamous outing came on Black Friday in 1869, when the financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the New York gold market and triggered a national financial panic.
- 01
around the corner
Imminent; very soon.
- 02
black market
Trade that is in violation of restrictions, rationing, or price controls.
- 03
box oneself into a corner
To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.
- 04
bring one's own hide to market
To create one's own fate, as a result of one's chosen character and actions; to experience the appropriate consequences of one's behavior.
- 05
cut corners
To do a less-than-thorough or incomplete job; to do something poorly; to take inappropriate shortcuts.
- 06
drug on the market
something which is overabundant at the moment and thus not in demand.
- 07
fight one's corner
To vigorously promote or defend one's interests, views, etc.
- 08
meat market
A place where one goes for a casual sexual encounter, such as a bar (establishment) or nightclub.
Last updated August 10, 2026