Synonyms of bargaining

bargaining 1 of 2

noun

as in negotiation

Related Words

• negotiation
• bargain
• haggling
• transaction
• dealing
• dickering
• deal
• horse trading
• replacement
• substitution
• reciprocation
• logrolling
• horse trade
• exchange
• recompense
• barter
• swap
• truck
• commutation
• back-and-forth
• trade
• trade-off
• quid pro quo
• requital
• dicker

bargaining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bargain

1

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

• negotiating
• dealing
• haggling
• dickering
• bickering
• arguing
• clashing
• horse-trading
• wheeling and dealing
• chaffering
• fighting
• paltering
• quarreling
• wrangling
• squabbling
• cutting a deal
• buying
• bartering
• exchanging
• trading
• quibbling
• hassling
• purchasing
• shopping (around)
• peddling
• hawking
• comparison shopping

2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• agreeing
• covenanting
• contracting
• arranging
• coming to terms
• striking a bargain
• underwriting
• coming around
• coming round
• subscribing
• settling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• differing
• disagreeing
• dissenting
• arguing
• revoking
• canceling
• contesting
• objecting
• disputing
• reneging

3

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• negotiating
• arranging
• concluding
• discussing
• concerting
• haggling
• dealing
• dickering
• settling (on or upon)
• reasoning
• horse-trading
• debating
• chaffering
• renegotiating
• agreeing
• talking
• arguing
• paltering
• contracting
• covenanting
• talking over
• hammering out
• hashing (over)
• working out

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bargaining

Noun

The district provided some information but left out several details CSEA had requested, and no meaningful bargaining occurred over the layoffs’ effects, according to the union’s complaint. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

By addressing many of the issues that could otherwise be subjects of collective bargaining, the legislation would significantly narrow what athletes and their potential unions could seek at the bargaining table. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Related Articles The union’s first contract, ratified in 2023 after 16 months of bargaining, expired in June. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Wong specializes in the MLB collective-bargaining agreement, player contracts and keeping the White Sox compliant with league rules. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

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

The city of Fort Worth and the union representing its firefighters have reached a tentative agreement on a contract after a months-long bargaining process. — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 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 union planned to conclude a contentious bargaining period with Stellantis on Friday. — Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 11 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