BARGAINING Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

bargaining 1 of 2

noun

as in negotiation

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bargaining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bargain

as in negotiating

to talk over or dispute the terms of a purchase they bargained with the car salesman for half an hour before settling on a price

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in agreeing

to come to an arrangement as to a course of action I really hadn't bargained on buying a whole case of Girl Scout cookies, just a couple of boxes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in arranging

to bring about through discussion and compromise bargained the price of the painting down to a figure that the artist could still live with

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bargaining

Noun

During the two-month negotiation pause, SEIU and the state discussed returning to the bargaining table in sidebar conversations. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026 The department remains focused on achieving a fair and responsible agreement and continues to be available at the bargaining table. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Nevertheless, Brand admits some steal art as a kind of bargaining tool. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 During the last bargaining session, Eric Johnson, president of the Hialeah Association of Firefighters Local 1102, warned that staffing levels are already thin. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 Unsurprisingly, then, primary elections encourage members of Congress to stake out positions that are further to the left and right and to avoid bargaining with members of the opposite political party. — Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 With greater bargaining power after acquisitions, hospital systems can negotiate higher commercial prices for health care services, which can in turn raise premiums. — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 Major League Baseball proposed to shorten the regular season to 154 games from 162 games starting in 2029 and to expand the Division Series to best-of-seven in bargaining with players on Thursday. — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 The union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Casa Bonita in September 2025 after the restaurant cut more than 1,000 hours from workers without bargaining, according to Equity. — Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026

Verb

Equity and Casa Bonita management have been bargaining since April 2025, with the union meeting with management at least once a month, Hoeschen said. — Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026 Yet one or more of the P5 could inject new names at the last minute, once again leaving the decision to behind-the-scenes bargaining among a few powerful states. — Ian Johnstone, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026 The California Gig Workers Union hopes to begin bargaining by the end of the year, CalMatters reported. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 Alongside promotions and deadlines, many young women are also privately bargaining with time and their bodies. — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026 This comes several days after Stanford football players created a campus chapter of the College Football Players Association, with the goal of collectively bargaining with the ACC. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026 No deployment date has been set for Hyundai’s Korean plants at all, so the union is bargaining pre-emptively, trying to lock in protections before the humanoid robots show up rather than after. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 The ruling also reflected Sotomayor’s reasoning that owners and players were still bargaining in good faith and that salary policies were mandatory subjects of bargaining. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026 If an employer chooses to grant recognition, no election takes place, and the parties begin bargaining a contract that sets standards for wages, working conditions and benefits. — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bargaining

Noun

The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance helps fill that gap, uniting national associations to lobby policymakers and guide young composers through contracts and negotiations.

— Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Trade negotiations between the United States and Mexico have reached an impasse after months of talks between officials about a deal to reduce duties on critical imports from beyond the southern border.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of negotiation

Verb

Technical knowledge can be taught and examined but the skills Freebairn values most, such as influencing, persuading, and negotiating, cannot.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The administration may be negotiating even more stakes under the radar, since SEC filings for unrelated deals mention the possibility of warrants.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of negotiating

Verb

Samsung settled, agreeing to update its terms to more clearly explain its use of ACR.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
Trump has been shifting away from Kyiv in recent weeks, criticizing Zelenskyy, waiving sanctions on Russia and agreeing to a diesel deal with the Kremlin.

— David Hickey, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of agreeing

Noun

Wynn Resorts, which caters almost exclusively to high-end customers, has opted to maintain its high room rates in Las Vegas even as visitation has slowed over the past year, rather than filling every room with travelers looking for a bargain.

— Contessa Brewer,Ryan Ruggiero, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
This money would be overseen and partially managed by Kushner and MBZ, who, in their effort to strike a grand bargain to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, believed the region’s map needed to be redrawn.

— Matthew Cole, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bargain

Verb

The Brewers even have their own version of the White Flag trade, dealing star closer Josh Hader to the Padres for four players with the team in first at the 2022 deadline.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Last night, Dave Roberts left Blake Snell in a bit too long, even though Snell was dealing.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of dealing

Noun

The result could amount to a form of AI-enabled haggling, in which consumers face perpetually shifting prices based on factors largely invisible to them.

— Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
After some spirited haggling at a public hearing, Star City Council members on July 7 approved a development plan for a commercial center on the northeast corner of Highway 44 between North Moyle Avenue and Plummer Road.

— Noah Daly July 15, Idaho Statesman, 15 July 2026

Definition of haggling

Noun

Florida law imposes disclosure requirements concerning certain potential conflicts, and directors should disclose relevant financial or personal interests before the board considers any related transactions or decisions.

— Gary M. Mars, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
The basic model of competitive markets which one finds in an introductory economics textbook—where independent firms engage in cold arm’s-length transactions motivated by unadulterated self-interest—does not apply to the industry.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026