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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Example Sentences
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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
Verb
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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Democrats are also trying to pin the shutdown on Republicans, blaming Trump for not negotiating in good faith.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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During his campaign, Pacheco touted the board’s efforts to reduce drug costs for members by negotiating new agreements with healthcare companies.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But after that, troops would be at the mercy of negotiations on Capitol Hill, which remain at a stalemate.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
30 Sep. 2025
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ProPublica has learned that the contractor relayed information including handwritten Salvadoran documents about the gang negotiations.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Masataka Yoshida dealt the fatal blow, singling both home.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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If the Sharks are not in contention for the playoffs later this season when the trade deadline rolls around, and Klingberg stays healthy, the option to deal him to a contender for an asset is also available.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In Libra, Mercury is a charming diplomat, prioritizing balance, compromise and social harmony.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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The government reopened after Republicans, whom polls showed a majority of Americans blamed, accepted Clinton's compromise proposal.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of the studios, congratulated Mulroney on her election.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2025
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Sernatinger said the union hopes to begin bargaining in October, after settling a dispute with Pathfinders management over which positions were covered under OPEIU Local 39.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The administration previously reached settlement agreements with Columbia and Brown to resolve civil rights investigations and restore their federal research funding.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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The investigation also showed settlement agreements ALDOT had signed with some residents soon after flooding concerns arose, paying each homeowner up to $5,000.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Owners should practice patience and understanding, as well as learning to recognize any signs of fear or anxiety in their new pet.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Another red flag could be an advisor who pushes products without a firm understanding of your goals, risk tolerance and timeline.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Democrats have pushed for concessions around the extension of health care tax credits set to expire and a rollback of recent Medicaid cuts.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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In 2022, a federal judge ordered the cruise lines Carnival, MSC SA, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian to pay more than $400 million in damages to Havana Docks, the American company that had the concession to the Havana port facilities the cruise companies used to disembark passengers between 2015-19.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20trade. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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