bargain away
phrasal verb
bargained away; bargaining away; bargains away
: to lose or give up (something) as part of an agreement
The employees are concerned that the union will bargain away wage increases for less desirable benefits.
Examples of bargain away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This was the final, fatal miscalculation—the belief that democracy’s protections could be bargained away but democracy itself could still somehow survive.
—
Daniel Ziblatt, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
In 2003, serial killer Gary Ridgway bargained away the death penalty but there were conditions.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 3 July 2025
Officials in Seoul are wary of the nation’s security being bargained away, mindful of the treatment dished out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025
Workers also want a 46% pay raise and restoration of some pension benefits bargained away during the Great Recession — but a shorter workweek, which has raised eyebrows, could help the industry and its workers transition to electric vehicle production.
—Joel Mathis, The Week, 30 Aug. 2023
That victory came about in part because the bill did not specify which programs would get the ax, but also because many Republican lawmakers expected, correctly, that much of the bill’s spending cuts would be bargained away in talks with the White House.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
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Daniel Ziblatt, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
In 2003, serial killer Gary Ridgway bargained away the death penalty but there were conditions.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 3 July 2025
Officials in Seoul are wary of the nation’s security being bargained away, mindful of the treatment dished out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025
Workers also want a 46% pay raise and restoration of some pension benefits bargained away during the Great Recession — but a shorter workweek, which has raised eyebrows, could help the industry and its workers transition to electric vehicle production.
—Joel Mathis, The Week, 30 Aug. 2023
That victory came about in part because the bill did not specify which programs would get the ax, but also because many Republican lawmakers expected, correctly, that much of the bill’s spending cuts would be bargained away in talks with the White House.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Bargain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bargain%20away. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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