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

Trump has also allowed limited sales of Nvidia's H200 AI chips to China even as broader restrictions remain in place, making semiconductor access another bargaining point. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026 Stress-test scenarios for supplier concentration, co-invest in joint planning and innovation and keep at least one alternative source viable to preserve bargaining power. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The problem is that efforts to establish college athletes as employees capable of collectively bargaining have continued to fall short of becoming the organizing force many advocates anticipated. — Chris Corr, Sportico.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Elena DalFavero, assistant superintendent of human resources, said the agreement reflected the work of both bargaining teams. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026 The union planned to conclude a contentious bargaining period with Stellantis on Friday. — Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026 The move comes after the latest bargaining session ended with no deal, according to Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 The deals additionally necessitate bargaining over the use of AI in the workplace. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 That ultimately led to a courtroom battle when the city argued a new bargaining agreement was in place. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

Verb

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 restaurant’s cliff divers, magicians, puppeteers and roving performers have been bargaining with management for more than a year, after officially voting to unionize in November 2024. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 9 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

On the last day of negotiations, the talks turned aggressive.

— Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
Representatives from the three countries held three rounds of trilateral negotiations early this year, twice in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and once in Geneva, but the talks achieved no significant breakthroughs.

— HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of negotiation

Verb

Blizzard insinuated that Paramount blackmailed California into negotiating a settlement by threatening to leave the state, a common talking point raised by Bonta.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026
Continuing to fight or pressure Iran economically is unlikely to yield a better outcome than negotiating.

— RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of negotiating

Verb

Activists during the press conference on Tuesday criticized Doral officials for agreeing to it in the first place.

— Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
The Hawks are upgrading their frontcourt after agreeing Tuesday to acquire forward Dorian Finney-Smith from the Hornets.

— AJC Sports, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of agreeing

Verb

The short clip highlights a lavish chandelier and floral centerpieces, and even shows Melania carefully arranging elegant silverware and glassware on the dinner table.

— StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 19 Sep. 2026
For this development, the team worked with two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, arranging alternating organic and inorganic layers into precise crystalline structures.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of arranging

Verb

The inquest testimony about Lizzie’s attempt to purchase prussic acid was also excluded, dealing another major blow to the prosecution.

— Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
One hundred years ago, one of the most destructive hurricanes in South Florida history roared ashore, devastating communities, killing hundreds and dealing an economic blow that some historians say took the region decades to fully overcome.

— Hank Tester, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of dealing

Noun

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
No negotiating, no haggling, no surprises.

— Rancho Santa Fe Review, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026

Definition of haggling

Noun

One advisor simply moves more transactions through the same funnel.

— Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The Justice Department and FCC have approved the transaction without asking for any concessions or remedies — an unusually hands-off approach for such a large horizontal merger.

— Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026