horse sense

noun

Definition of horse sensenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. prudence
  2. wisdom
  3. sense
  4. common sense
  5. wit
  6. policy
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
  • As climate uncertainty and political instability mount, their quest becomes a search for resilience, ancestral wisdom, and survival.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
  • As the night comes to a close, Little stands across from me on the terrace and shares the words of wisdom Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal imparted to the cohort earlier in the week.
    — Karla Cote, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wisdom
Noun
  • Iran makes another push before heading home In a sign of Tehran’s apparent sense of urgency, Pezeshkian hosted the prime minister of Qatar, the mediator in the indirect talks, early Friday before much of New York rolled out of bed.
    — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • In a sign of Tehran’s apparent sense of urgency, Pezeshkian hosted the prime minister of Qatar, the mediator in the indirect talks, early Friday before much of New York rolled out of bed.
    — Cara Anna, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of sense
Noun
  • But for Julio César Beltré, the legislative deputy who proposed the bill, the measure is common sense.
    — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
  • One of the few sane parts of the internet that shows there is still some common sense in the USA.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of common sense
Noun
  • When his inquiry leads directly to a ruthless corporate chairman played by Tony Leung Ka-fai, the two seasoned operators become locked in a battle of wits.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What’s a woman at her wit’s end with half her family 200 years in the future to do?
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wit
Noun
  • For decades, the European Union has led the world in implementing policies designed to cut emissions, creating the world’s most important price on carbon and crafting the rules of the road for a wide range of regulatory efforts.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The public-policy theory also operates separately from a promise made in an employment agreement.
    — William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of policy

Browse Nearby Words

horses around
horse sense
horse-trade
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horse sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20sense. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All