as in prudence
the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters
pure horse sense should tell you it's dangerous to play with matches
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Recent Examples of horse sense
Our people have a horse sense for what good work is.
—
Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
My bet is that Smith has that political horse sense.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 8 June 2023
But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Back in 2011, Daniels, a former Bush White House official and two-term Indiana governor known for his conservative horse sense and low-key manner, passed on a White House run and went on to accept the Purdue presidency.
—Frederick Hess, Forbes, 16 June 2022
In an age when Hollywood’s highest-profile parent-child relationship is that between Britney Spears and her father, what could be more refreshing than the homespun horse sense of the Howard boys?
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
People have many ways of talking about intuition: gut, nose, sixth sense, horse sense, Spidey-sense.
—Steve Kolowich, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
My bet is that Smith has that political horse sense.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 8 June 2023
But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Back in 2011, Daniels, a former Bush White House official and two-term Indiana governor known for his conservative horse sense and low-key manner, passed on a White House run and went on to accept the Purdue presidency.
—Frederick Hess, Forbes, 16 June 2022
In an age when Hollywood’s highest-profile parent-child relationship is that between Britney Spears and her father, what could be more refreshing than the homespun horse sense of the Howard boys?
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
People have many ways of talking about intuition: gut, nose, sixth sense, horse sense, Spidey-sense.
—Steve Kolowich, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse sense
Noun
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Additionally, a boom-and-bust cycle in the early 2000s informs some of the company’s prudence on expansion.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Taiwan’s military should exercise prudence in its rules of engagement and not assume that every close call is intentional.—
JOEL WUTHNOW,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Brought together by filmmaker Saúl Alvídrez, these two radical elders share passion, politics, and wisdom.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Sagittarius is the truth-seeker of the zodiac, and its archetype is symbolic of wisdom, expansion and venturing outside of one’s comfort zone.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Filler shots of chauffeurs, champagne and colossal walk-in closets with pristine designer clobber glistening and gleaming from glass shelves centred around trays and trays of priceless jewels assault the viewer’s senses between almost every scene.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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For all the fans’ cries for the team to go all in, there’s still the matter of dollars and sense.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Coach Prime should’ve listened to his common sense sooner.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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To Vande Kolk and the other deputies, Green Lake was a place where people knew their neighbors, compared tractor sizes, and valued common sense above book smarts.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Much of the film’s drama then ensues inside Teddy and Don’s basement like a pseudo chamber piece as captor and captive face off in a battle of wits, logic and strange faith that blurs the lines between divisive politics, conspiracy and cosmic truth.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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During an October 2022 visit to The Drew Barrymore Show, Clooney reflected on the opportunity and his love for the cast’s wit.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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If this trend continues, the GOP could see losses in the November 2026 midterms, thus affecting the balance of power in Congress and the party's ability to influence key policies and legislation.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Economists have forecast, for the most part, that a majority of the BOE’s nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC) will vote to keep its key interest rate, known as Bank Rate, unchanged at 4% at its November meeting.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20sense. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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