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
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Still, the legislative session frequently goes past the target end date as lawmakers negotiate over the final details of bills and the state budget.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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Players with more than three years of service time can use arbitration to negotiate their salaries for an upcoming season, and Skubal has more than five years in.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Last week, the House did pass legislation to extend the expired subsidies, and negotiations have moved to the Senate.—
Blake Farmer,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
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While the possibility of another strike exists if negotiations fail in the future, both sides say no one wants to repeat what happened.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By the show's finale, she's become such a central part of the group that Joyce is the one who deals the killing blow to Vecna.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Jan. 2026
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Fulton County Reparations Task Force, a volunteer group in Georgia’s most populous county, recently submitted a 636-page report on the harms the municipality dealt through slavery and discrimination against Black residents.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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European leaders coordinated joint responses, insisting any deal respect Kyiv’s red lines, while the administration stressed pragmatic compromises to secure lasting peace.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Senate rejected a three-year extension last month, but serious bipartisan talks are underway in hopes of finding a compromise soon, reportedly early next week.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On December 31, the unions filed with the State of California, alleging unfair labor practices by Solano County and arguing that Solano is not bargaining in good faith.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Any deadline would have to be collectively bargained, however, and the idea has already drawn opposition from the MLBPA.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Since the jury decision in 2022, the township has been accruing interest on the unpaid settlement.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
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Since January 2024, JCPS attorneys have reached settlements in more than 40 lawsuits, with the district agreeing to nearly $14 million in payments.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Spirit, energy and enthusiasm When there were loud external calls for upgrades at safety in August, head coach Dave Canales firmly backed Scott because of his leadership and understanding of the defense.—
Mike Kaye
January 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
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Tensor said the system emphasizes contextual understanding rather than simple object detection, allowing the AI to adapt to complex and unpredictable real-world driving conditions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Officials in Brussels, Berlin, and Paris viewed early proposals as overly concessive to Moscow, insufficiently safeguarding Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity — particularly regarding Donbas, Crimea, and possible concessions beyond current lines of control.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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While the big brands have switched over to licensed shops or a concession model with Saks Global, smaller designers don’t have that protection.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horse-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse-trade. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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