HORSE SENSE Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

horse sense

noun

Definition of horse sense

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of horse sense Anheuser-Busch will have to see how viewers react to its latest ad to determine if consumers think the Clydesdales still present good horse sense or represent a horse of a different color. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026 His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense. — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse sense

Noun

Short-term rates went to 5% and change, Treasury bills paid more than investment grade corporates, and savers who had spent fifteen years being punished for prudence suddenly got paid handsomely for doing nothing.

— Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
In those conditions, United’s prudence makes financial sense.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of prudence

Noun

Here, in this image of an ingenious skidding kitten—in both its brutality and its beautiful, dumb, playful resilience—lies the wisdom of Marcon’s art.

— Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
Increasingly, though, designers are reconsidering the wisdom of presenting a completely new offering each season, considering the sustainability implications involved and the costs of sampling.

— Emily Chan, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of wisdom

Noun

Dolce’s cool, reductive architectural sense, with its airy vistas and great open spaces inside and out (perfect for their energetic Labradors, Lola and her son, Dali), is cluttered with the eclectic bounty that Gabbana has assembled over the years.

— Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
In an opinion essay Sunday, a trio of 1st Amendment and antitrust experts dismissed Paramount’s threat to leave Los Angeles as a ploy that doesn’t make business sense.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of sense

Noun

Administration calls them common sense Last year, Democrats worried that Trump might intervene in off-year elections in California, Virginia and elsewhere, only to have voting go smoothly with no clashes with the federal government.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
That’s not to absolve individuals from common sense or basic decency.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of common sense

Noun

Laced with Horgan’s signature combination of unsparing honesty and sparkling wit, Youth is a fleet and frisky reminder that growing into yourself is a lifelong endeavor.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
What follows is a modern picaresque journey, in which a clever underdog has to rely on her wit and wiles to survive a corrupt and perilous world.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of wit

Noun

But minority Republicans in the state House and Senate say local Democrats’ policies have done plenty to make Connecticut unaffordable.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
The law firm's report released Thursday said Caldwell committed several violations of state policy.

— MIKE CATALINI, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of policy

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horses around

horse sense

horse-trade

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“Horse sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20sense. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of horse sense

noun

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