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 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
-
But general-education courses play a pivotal role in a department’s ability to recruit potential majors, pull in tuition revenue and negotiate hiring additional faculty.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
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Leagues and players’ associations negotiate workplace rules, and those agreements are exempt from antitrust scrutiny.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Trump helped negotiate a peace deal between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, seen as an indirect but key player in the conflict, while Qatar and other partners have championed similar efforts involving direct negotiations between the government and the M23.—
OPE ADETAYO,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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The warnings of mass surveillance, the senior Administration official familiar with the negotiations told me, were a public-relations move designed to capitalize on widespread anti-ICE sentiment.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No serious injuries were reported, but the extent of the fire shook residents of the north, who have repeatedly been told by their leaders that Hezbollah was dealt a devastating blow in 2024 during its last war with Israel.—
Natalie Melzer,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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Just three days later, his time in Green Bay would officially come to and end, as the Packers dealt him to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The assurance of being yourself and being liked, fulfilling your purpose while climbing life’s rungs, has obvious appeal in youth, before compromises and obligations start to pile too high.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
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Some hereditary members will be converted to life peers under a last-minute compromise, extending the transition through spring 2026.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One potential—though untested—workaround would be for conferences, which are private entities, to serve as a joint employer that bargains with a players’ union.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
If the companies want stability, that can always be achieved by being willing to bargain and address the very real concerns of writers.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But what October 7th did was create the political possibility that the most extreme version of settlements, which had been on the shelf for many years, could be accelerated and pushed past the finish line.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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Testimony was put on hold for a week for more settlement negotiations, but with no breakthrough in sight, Judge Arun Subramanian said Friday the trial would resume.—
Larry Neumeister,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This understanding continues to emerge as researchers found another Eastern Han drum in a nearby grave in 1980.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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This Mercury-Mars team-up boosts your 9th House of Learning, potentially kickstarting plans to register for an educational course or book a trip that could expand your understanding.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Opponents salvaged a concession — the law won’t take effect until after the November midterm elections.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
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Of concern for both schools, though, is that a Gophers-Tommies game next season would be much more profitable through ticket, concession and parking sales for both schools than the NIT or CBC.—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horse-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse-trade. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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