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
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as in negotiation
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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
Noun
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
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Jackson also helped negotiate the release of hostages in Iraq and Cuba, and the two welcomed some of them home at the airport.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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But the university, like so many others – Penn State and James Franklin (owed $49 million; negotiated down after he was hired by Virginia Tech), LSU and Brian Kelly (owed $54 million); Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M (owed $76 million) – tied itself to a bad deal and now doesn’t want to pay.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Nonetheless, a second round of negotiations will be held on Tuesday in Geneva, according to multiple reports.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
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The Danish territory got no mentions in the speech, as negotiations over its fate proceed slowly.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The abrupt withdrawal of Microsoft's co-founder dealt a fresh blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos.—
Aditya Soni,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The sixth-round pick was dealt to the Giants last June in exchange for tight end Darren Waller, an impending free agent.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the meantime, massages can be arranged in your room or on your terrace, which is hardly a compromise—especially since the crashing waves set the soundtrack for every inch of this property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
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With another round of peace talks ending abruptly, and little sign of compromise over key issues such as land concessions, a stable peace agreement remains elusive.—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This was partly out of deference to a president who thinks not of enemies but only of potential counterparties to be bargained with, bullied, swindled, or accommodated.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
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The move comes one month before the WGA is due to sit down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to begin bargaining a new contract for Hollywood TV and film writers.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In recent months, Israel has greatly expanded construction in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory to strengthen its hold and weaken the Palestinian Authority.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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The company has been negotiating a settlement, opposed by Slater, to avoid a trial that could break it up along the lines of its 2010 merger.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This greatly improved the meetings that both boards have regarding our budget discussions and has lead to a better understanding between the two bodies.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Feb. 2026
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Levine did not have concerns while making the movie but has developed a fuller understanding of the trans experience in the ensuing decades.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On Saturday, World Curling’s concession to move two officials between the four sheets resulted in, at one point, one official watching the Canadians against Switzerland, with his back turned to US-Germany, and another eyeing up Sweden-China, with her back to Great Britain and the Czech Republic.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
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The 11-acre park will feature rides, attractions, concessions and a welcome center.—
Kendrick Calfee
February 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horse-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse-trade. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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