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

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

So, in somewhat of a quid pro quo, FIFA awarded the United States hosting rights to the 1994 World Cup Finals on the back of America's promise to create a new top-tier domestic league. — Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 14 June 2026

The quid pro quo made total sense to me. — Kevin Brazil, Harpers Magazine, 9 June 2026

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