as in to negotiate
to talk over or dispute the terms of a purchase
I horse-traded with the painter: I did his tax returns, and he did my kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in negotiation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horse trade
Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 4 Oct. 2023
Congress, by contrast, can hold wide-ranging hearings, issue subpoenas, survey and even commission empirical research, weigh fiscal trade-offs, consider constituent popularity, balance different values and interests, horse trade, negotiate, and forge compromises.
—Ian MacDougall, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
Justices horse trade and revise for months on major cases, though they’re not known for flipping sides.
—Dallas News, 3 May 2022
The blandishments McCarthy might have offered to horse trade his way to the speakership — fancy titles, perks, a fundraising appearance — meant little to those Republican holdouts who would like nothing more than to burn Washington to the ground.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023
Krikorian, from the restrictionist Center for Immigration Studies, argued DACA recipients could have gotten green cards by now, if Democrats had been willing to horse trade for tougher enforcement.
—Dallas News, 18 July 2022
In the early 1960s, the bistate agency took over what was then the struggling Hudson and Manhattan Railroad as part of a horse trade between New Jersey and New York that committed the Port to build the first World Trade Center.
—Paul Berger, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2018
And Paul George finally escaped Indiana, albeit to a dark-horse trade partner in the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Peter Dawson and Pdawson@star-Telegram.com, star-telegram, 13 Dec. 2017
Verb
The rising profile of McHenry and Emmer is likely bullish for crypto bills, as both work to convince Democrats on their committee—and their counterparts over in the Senate—to horse trade over stablecoin and market structure legislation.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 4 Oct. 2023
Congress, by contrast, can hold wide-ranging hearings, issue subpoenas, survey and even commission empirical research, weigh fiscal trade-offs, consider constituent popularity, balance different values and interests, horse trade, negotiate, and forge compromises.
—Ian MacDougall, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
Justices horse trade and revise for months on major cases, though they’re not known for flipping sides.
—Dallas News, 3 May 2022
The blandishments McCarthy might have offered to horse trade his way to the speakership — fancy titles, perks, a fundraising appearance — meant little to those Republican holdouts who would like nothing more than to burn Washington to the ground.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023
Krikorian, from the restrictionist Center for Immigration Studies, argued DACA recipients could have gotten green cards by now, if Democrats had been willing to horse trade for tougher enforcement.
—Dallas News, 18 July 2022
In the early 1960s, the bistate agency took over what was then the struggling Hudson and Manhattan Railroad as part of a horse trade between New Jersey and New York that committed the Port to build the first World Trade Center.
—Paul Berger, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2018
And Paul George finally escaped Indiana, albeit to a dark-horse trade partner in the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Peter Dawson and Pdawson@star-Telegram.com, star-telegram, 13 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse trade
Verb
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Another few weeks of Russian infantry assaults could achieve that goal, allowing Putin to negotiate with the U.S. and Ukraine from a position of greater advantage.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
16 Aug. 2025
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Until a decade ago, every La Liga club negotiated its own TV agreement, leading to enormous revenue disparities.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Global Plastics Treaty negotiations stalled when Saudi Arabia, the United States and a coalition of petrostates refused to compromise on the demand by environmentalists and like-minded states to set production caps on virgin plastic production.—
Saleem H. Ali,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
The new proposal adheres closely to the last ceasefire plan discussed before negotiations fell apart last month.—
Becky Anderson,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Fortunately, the Trump Administration has dealt itself enough cards to rectify this obvious vulnerability.—
Jane Swift,
Fortune,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Over the course of the season, Peggy and Hank both deal, in their own separate ways, with frustrations about retirement.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The noise ordinance is a compromise with businesses, as the commission had discussed lowering the decibel limit even further past 10 p.m. in July.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
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But when multiple ballots failed to produce a clear frontrunner for the presidential nomination, Polk was settled upon as a compromise candidate.—
Menachem Spiegel,
New York Daily News,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Brian is willing to bargain with the devil to make this work!—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Florida is one of six states in the U.S. that enshrines rights for workers to collectively bargain, according to Harvard’s Center for Labor and a Just Economy.—
Lauren Brensel,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The season 27 premiere, which aired July 23, targeted Trump and his lawsuit settlement with Paramount, portraying the president as Satan’s lover, though Satan repeatedly rebuffs his advances.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Employers who come into compliance typically avoid a citation or fine, although 38 employers under investigation reached a pre-citation settlement and paid $222,500 in fines.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The best platform teams are the ones that build a deep understanding of the daily realities of developers, security professionals and operations specialists.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
There’s endless room for improvement and understanding.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But when Gorbachev tried to extract concessions on the Strategic Defense Initiative, Reagan walked away.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Despite escalating rhetoric and tariff threats, there is indication that Putin has softened his stance or made concessions toward peace.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20trade. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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