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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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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This has given the conflict a religious coloration, and political elites have also chosen to politicize the conflict to negotiate power and other interests, which has complicated the problem.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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One head of a negotiating delegation told CNN they were being charged more than $20,000 for two weeks in a three-bedroom apartment.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The league has no salary cap, and heading into negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of a 2026 deadline it is expected that owners will take a firm position against the players’ union in trying to secure one.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
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Trump recently halted Canadian trade negotiations after an ad funded by the province of Ontario featured a 1987 anti-tariff speech by former President Ronald Reagan.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That came after Gardner, who had just signed a four-year extension this offseason, was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-round picks.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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Despite the new contract, there is still a chance that the Red Sox could deal the 29-year-old in a trade this winter to clear up their logjam in the outfield.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The government reopened after Republican lawmakers accepted a compromise that Clinton suggested.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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That versatility allows every fashion lover to preserve the quality and story of their favorite finds without compromise.—
Essence,
Essence,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That’s true so long as the two sides are bargaining in good faith.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
What were the musicians bargaining for?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There’s the younger wife who falls in love with the woman her husband hires for a threesome, then walks off 10 minutes later with a $210m settlement once Nash acquires video evidence of his extensive perversions.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Accusations of corruption Teng’s denials come after the Wall Street Journal reported last week that Binance not only facilitated the settlement of MGX’s investment using USD1, but also assisted in building the technology behind the stablecoin, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.—
Elaine Yu,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In a similar vein, Timnit Gebru, a computer scientist writing during her time working at Google, warned of the dangers of large language models acting as stochastic parrots, which repeat language patterns without understanding, and in doing so replicate the biases embedded in their training data.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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From sourcing materials domestically to designing heaters that require no electricity, the company’s practices reflect an understanding that environmental responsibility often begins at home, in how things are built, maintained, and valued.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Trump had cast doubt on attending in recent days — was reported by the Financial Times, which said the Kremlin had refused to make concessions over the war in Ukraine.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Some trade experts who spoke with ABC News indicated both sides had won notable concessions, though the ultimate impact may depend on whether the agreement can withstand mercurial US-China relations.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse-trade. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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