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
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
The White House has not yet negotiated lower prices on IVF drugs from other manufacturers.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The only long-term solution — in my view — is a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank whose borders are negotiated with Israel.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The government shutdown is entering day 20 with no serious negotiations underway to bring it to an end.—
NPR,
NPR,
20 Oct. 2025
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So while the president can make his priorities for negotiations clear, there is no guarantee that China will listen.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This comes after Hamas and Israel have exchanged surviving hostages and prisoners in the first phase of a ceasefire deal for the war in Gaza.—
NPR,
NPR,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The theft dealt a significant operational and financial blow and the company shuttered operations in mid-2025.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Kings’ deal with Murray is a fair compromise between a new front office that didn’t draft Murray and a still-rising wing who just turned 25.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
With a council majority then in Duggan's corner, the proposals would yield mixed results, ending in a blend of wins, losses and political compromise.—
Violet Ikonomova,
Freep.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Under the bill, AB 1340, by Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, and co-authored by Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, hundreds of thousands of drivers will now be able to bargain for better wages and benefits.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Basically, teachers have the right to organize and advocate for their interests, but unions cannot legally bargain with the government.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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When Texas experimented with a similar citizenship data review process in 2019, three federal lawsuits were filed, and three months in, the Texas secretary of state agreed to end the experiment as part of a settlement.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
21 Oct. 2025
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Nearly two dozen lawmakers in Netanyahu’s coalition signed a letter to Israel’s defense minister urging him to permit activists into Gaza itself to scout possible settlement locations.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His monthly Inside China column explores the issues that shape discussions and understanding about Chinese innovation, providing fresh perspectives not found elsewhere.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Leaders ensure understanding, model behavior, and align all actions with it.—
Prof. Dr. med. Mazda Farshad,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Relying solely on Amazon’s admittedly massive reach would be both a lifeline and a painful concession.—
Mara Weinraub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Now, this was very far from ending occupation or achieving Palestinian liberty, but those were concessions that Israel made as a result of Palestinian resistance.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20trade. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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