as in exchange
a giving or taking of one thing of value in return for another
according to our barter agreement, I do all of the mechanical work on my neighbor's car, and he does all of my snow removal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of barter
Salvatore Babones, Foreign Affairs, 7 June 2015
The evolution of a barter economy made existence easier at the expense of learning the skills of survival, like how to make bows and arrows for hunting.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025
Prianka Srinivasan Matthew Abbott, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Zoom out: More women (51%), who comprise half of NFL fans, than men (46%) are cool bartering away future bae for a championship parade, the survey found.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barter
Noun
In the 1970s, China was an isolated country with an economy based mainly on communal obligations and barter trade.
—Salvatore Babones, Foreign Affairs, 7 June 2015
The evolution of a barter economy made existence easier at the expense of learning the skills of survival, like how to make bows and arrows for hunting.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025
Verb
While dolphin meat is eaten and bartered with neighboring islands for food, betel nuts and other products, the teeth are the true prize of the hunt.
—Prianka Srinivasan Matthew Abbott, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Zoom out: More women (51%), who comprise half of NFL fans, than men (46%) are cool bartering away future bae for a championship parade, the survey found.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barter
Noun
-
The country's nuclear program was subject to extensive restrictions in exchange for sanctions relief as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached in 2015 under then-U.S. President Barack Obama, but the deal was abandoned by President Donald Trump in 2018.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
-
Abrego Garcia's attorneys ask judge for sanctions against Trump administration Federal prosecutors say the conspiracy involved the domestic transport of thousands of noncitizens from Mexico and Central America, including some children, in exchange for thousands of dollars.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
The stock was initially priced at $31 per share, opened at $69, and is currently trading at $115 – which is a nearly 270% increase in just a few days.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Eighteen months after the combined company started trading, its share price had fallen by 80 percent, leading to several lawsuits by Time Warner shareholders who claimed AOL executives had fraudulently inflated the value of the company pre-merger.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
And this may only be the beginning: as crypto infrastructure intersects with artificial intelligence, stablecoins could enable AI agents to transact autonomously, unlocking programmable, real-time finance.—
Georgii Verbitskii,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Those include a large economy that transacts with the world; the financial system’s deepest, most liquid capital markets; a credible central bank; and the rule of law.—
Colby Smith,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
For starters, unlike Trump’s single-minded focus on China during his first-term trade war, Trump 2.0 is sparring with every country on the planet with the ostensible goal of negotiating freer and fairer trade deals, from our closest democratic allies to the Chinese Communist Party.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
-
Here’s the thing, no employee should be left to negotiate basic dignity on their own.—
Aparna Rae,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Medicine and equipment was stolen amid the fighting, so nurses have learned to bargain for it at nearby pharmacies.—
Sophie Neiman,
Christian Science Monitor,
5 May 2025
-
The two unions have joined together to bargain, with negotiations continuing over the past week on issues like holidays, alternative work weeks, time off, health insurance and retirement plans.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
After his release from jail, Fafara tried several jobs but eventually returned to dealing drugs.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
7 June 2025
-
To comply with those rules, any provision needs to deal primarily with the federal budget and not government policy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
All are characters from Sanrio, the merchandising company behind her universe of cuteness.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Media coverage excites executives and, when merchandised across digital marketing channels, has tremendous reach and impact.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
More prisoners were swapped Monday in a staggered process taking place over coming days, Zelensky and the Russian Defense Ministry announced, though neither side said how many.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
The flavor mingles well with the typical ingredients of mayonnaise and mustard, but if your recipe already contains vinegar, consider swapping it out for pickle juice instead.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barter. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share