Synonyms of quid pro quo

quid pro quo

noun

ˌkwid-ˌprō-ˈkwō 

as in exchange

a giving or taking of one thing of value in return for another

in politics nobody does something for nothing: there's always a quid pro quo involved

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exchange
• truck
• swap
• trade
• barter
• dealing
• commutation
• back-and-forth
• deal
• substitution
• bargaining
• bargain
• trade-off
• replacement
• dicker
• transaction
• horse trade
• negotiation
• horse trading
• reciprocation
• recompense
• dickering
• haggling
• requital
• logrolling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of quid pro quo

One person recalls Sanberg saying that the Leonard deal came with an understanding the team and the company would work on more deals together, and that the two were linked, though not as an explicit quid pro quo. — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Supporters of the spending limits have argued that the rules prevent quid pro quo corruption as well and restrict individuals from using political parties to circumvent other campaign finance rules. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 30 June 2026

The Louisiana Supreme Court said there was no evidence the payment was a quid pro quo, but concluded Reeves’ decision to accept the money created the appearance that people willing to pay could receive favorable treatment. — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Room for Disagreement In an email to Semafor, Patrick Lee Plaisance, a professor in ethics at Penn State, told Semafor that Kristof’s quotes of various campaign donors did not necessitate disclosure, noting that there was no quid pro quo for coverage, regardless of the Times’ disclosure promise. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 15 June 2026

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