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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], star-telegram, 13 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse-trade
Verb
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Canada negotiates lower drug prices for all its citizens under its universal health care system.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Again, this could be negotiated.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Restricting the key waterway, which is crucial to the world's oil supply and has become one of the main points of negotiation in the war, comes amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, according to Iran's top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
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District officials said compensation increases for all employee groups were approved together as part of the same negotiations process.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Feinsand and Olney specifically mentioned some of the team's most expensive players, including first baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Matt Chapman, among those the Giants are looking to deal.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
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Pinkas said that before the war, Iran was isolated under sanctions that choked its oil exports, dealing blows to its economy.—
Pamela Avila,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Noun
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This is amusing but understandable; in an era where commodity fetishism has turned analog, low-budget cinema into something aspirational, Jenkin has made no compromises for accessibility.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
17 June 2026
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In all of these instances, a compromise for uniformity was there for the taking.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Professional sports are better equipped to withstand a culture increasingly saturated by gambling because the rules are bargained, not improvised.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
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While bargaining with fantasy and forgiveness, the song lyrics shed light on the cost of having to ask, hope or wait for something that will never come.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Cash App's parent Block added Polygon as a settlement option, and payroll provider Deel turned on stablecoin payouts that let companies pay staff in dozens of countries at once.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
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Consumers with questions or want additional information can visit the settlement website's FAQ page.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Noun
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Sina Azodi, director of George Washington University’s Middle East studies program, noted Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are an issue for Iran while the US could possibly interpret Tehran claiming to close the Strait of Hormuz as a violation of the memorandum of understanding.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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In fact, some are doing little to hide their skepticism – and, in some cases, outright frustration – with the memorandum of understanding, which White House officials hope to spin into a more lasting peace agreement and nuclear accord.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Even unsuccessful efforts to break away from a private utility can put pressure on utility officials to come to the negotiating table and improve service, offer lower rates or agree to other concessions, Schryver said.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
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And data centers often demand significant tax concessions from host communities.—
Liz Krueger,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horse-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse-trade. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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