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
-
Almost every Democrat who responded blamed Republicans for refusing to reopen most of DHS while continuing to negotiate on immigration enforcement funding.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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By the time fall approached, Kise and Bhirud, with Blanche’s blessing, were negotiating Ver’s extraordinary deal line by line.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Still, neither party is projected to form an outright majority, setting the stage for coalition negotiations involving smaller left- and right-wing factions.—
Jan Bratanic Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
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An agreement among the basin’s seven states over how to divide its water expired at the end of last year, and negotiations to develop a new water plan fell apart last month.—
Mira Rojanasakul,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Public discussions in Israel now center around the possibility of a temporary occupation of south Lebanon and a military operation that would supposedly deal a final blow to Hezbollah.—
Asher Kaufman,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
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The Rangers have dealt eight top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline’s evaluations, since last summer’s trade deadline.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lead the compromise by keeping empathy at the center of everything.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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The compromise bill includes no lifetime caps but requires departments to set limits on how many times companies can apply each year for the SBA funding, prioritizing startups new to the programs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Ann Arbor Public Schools will continue bargaining with all employee groups in good faith.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
His core thesis was that the president’s formal constitutional powers are constrained, with their effectiveness reliant on their ability to bargain and persuade other key political players.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Yet in the early years of the insurgency there were talks to try and reach a settlement, until both sides accused each other of bad faith.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The city paid a $12 million wrongful death settlement to Taylor's family.—
DYLAN LOVAN,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Shanghai Broadcasting Film & TV Producers Association and the Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild formalized their relationship at the market, signing a memorandum of understanding covering co-production, talent cultivation and technological exchange.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
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Some toxicologists say there isn’t enough research to provide a comprehensive understanding of what concentrations of kratom or 7-OH can be acutely toxic in the body.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Many of the 31 measures that have been cleared for circulation won’t make the cut, and others exist to try to force concessions from political opponents or the Legislature.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Yes, the ticket and parking and concession prices at Dodger Stadium have risen steeply over the years.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horse-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse-trade. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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