bargaining chip
noun
: something that can be used to gain an advantage when trying to make a deal or an agreement
The workers used the threat of a strike as a bargaining chip in their negotiations.
Examples of bargaining chip in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Iran, which controls the northern side of the strait and can block any traversing ships, has previously used the waterway as a political bargaining chip amid tensions.
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Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
The senator went on to say voter rolls were used as a bargaining chip for ICE withdrawals in Minneapolis.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Trade policy doesn’t need to be a bargaining chip that costs jobs.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Some of the foreign aid disbursed in the second half of last year appears to have been straightforwardly treated as a bargaining chip.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bargaining chip
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Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
The senator went on to say voter rolls were used as a bargaining chip for ICE withdrawals in Minneapolis.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Trade policy doesn’t need to be a bargaining chip that costs jobs.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026
Some of the foreign aid disbursed in the second half of last year appears to have been straightforwardly treated as a bargaining chip.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bargaining chip
Cite this Entry
“Bargaining chip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bargaining%20chip. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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