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
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Recent Examples of quid pro quo
An alleged quid pro quo had been arranged between Russian and French officials, leading to the French judge’s scores being vacated.
—
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 3 Feb. 2026
But too often relationships between religious leaders and communities are rooted in allyship and its inherent quid pro quo.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
The prize is not a quid pro quo for a count of achievements, even real ones; it’s based on overall contributions to world peace.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
But Ocampo says it cannot clearly be determined whether that was the case or if they were discounted shipments, with some kind of quid pro quo — perhaps the deployment of doctors — or as humanitarian aid.
—María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quid pro quo
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 3 Feb. 2026
But too often relationships between religious leaders and communities are rooted in allyship and its inherent quid pro quo.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
The prize is not a quid pro quo for a count of achievements, even real ones; it’s based on overall contributions to world peace.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
But Ocampo says it cannot clearly be determined whether that was the case or if they were discounted shipments, with some kind of quid pro quo — perhaps the deployment of doctors — or as humanitarian aid.
—María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quid pro quo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quid pro quo
exchange
Noun
-
Some records from the year-long exchange of evidence in the lawsuit battle were already released publicly in response to a federal appeals court order.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Mission was moved from United Launch Alliance to speed up launch (ULA gets a future launch in exchange).—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quid pro quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quid%20pro%20quo. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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