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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Example Sentences
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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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Reverence for the past, and reluctance to destroy until the risks of destruction are fully known, is not timidity but wisdom, in architecture as in life.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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My daughter, in all her wisdom and childhood intuition, figured this out right away.—
Christa Carmen,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Both of those rankings praised the city for offering a sense of community, mountain scenery and a bustling arts scene.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
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There was a sense of Diana and Charles arriving at Westminster Abbey in separate coaches on the day of the coronation.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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People with common sense know it.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
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Even as big cats remain rare, coexistence is mostly about common sense.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The kind of things that had always worked for Lorne — his wit, his charm — just didn’t land.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
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His wit, taste, and irreverent sense of elegance defined the brand and inspired everyone who worked with him.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Combined with an intense summer heat wave, the surge caught many residents off guard, said Alex Ambrose, a transportation and climate policy analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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Every decision, every policy, every classroom moment must radiate honesty, courage and moral clarity.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20sense. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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