as in prudence
the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters
pure horse sense should tell you it's dangerous to play with matches
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Recent Examples of horse sense
Our people have a horse sense for what good work is.
—
Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
My bet is that Smith has that political horse sense.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 8 June 2023
But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Back in 2011, Daniels, a former Bush White House official and two-term Indiana governor known for his conservative horse sense and low-key manner, passed on a White House run and went on to accept the Purdue presidency.
—Frederick Hess, Forbes, 16 June 2022
In an age when Hollywood’s highest-profile parent-child relationship is that between Britney Spears and her father, what could be more refreshing than the homespun horse sense of the Howard boys?
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
People have many ways of talking about intuition: gut, nose, sixth sense, horse sense, Spidey-sense.
—Steve Kolowich, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Southern Living, 14 May 2018
Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
My bet is that Smith has that political horse sense.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 8 June 2023
But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Back in 2011, Daniels, a former Bush White House official and two-term Indiana governor known for his conservative horse sense and low-key manner, passed on a White House run and went on to accept the Purdue presidency.
—Frederick Hess, Forbes, 16 June 2022
In an age when Hollywood’s highest-profile parent-child relationship is that between Britney Spears and her father, what could be more refreshing than the homespun horse sense of the Howard boys?
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
People have many ways of talking about intuition: gut, nose, sixth sense, horse sense, Spidey-sense.
—Steve Kolowich, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Southern Living, 14 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse sense
Noun
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However, obstacles, chief among them the Kings’ apparent commitment to patience and prudence, abound.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Managing The Risk Of Abuse While the benefits of letting customers keep unwanted products are compelling, CMOs must balance generosity with prudence.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
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There are many great cocktail books out there, penned by incredibly talented bartenders who are more than willing to share their wisdom.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 July 2025
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People listen more attentively to the vice president than the assistant, regardless of their wisdom.—
Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Such easy overlap between juror and filmmaker speaks to a wider festival goal toward building a real sense of community within the genre world.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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Other migrant families have found the same sense of stability in the city of nearly 2 million inhabitants.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Using geographical proximity encourages more heated rivalries and satisfies basic common sense for travel.—
Jim Root,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Yet the state is backing away from a common sense strategy to fix that.—
Denise Amos,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Greater intelligence, wit, compassion, principles, and humanity enter our lives through book authors.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
27 July 2025
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For over three decades, Kym Whitley has moved through Hollywood with an unmistakable mix of warmth, wit, and work ethic.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
26 July 2025
Noun
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Regents selected the two most recent UT presidential appointments at University of Texas at Dallas and UTHealth Houston after a national search by a presidential search advisory committee, per the typical policy.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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Annie was five years old when the race-based, genocidal policies of the Indian Act became law in 1876.—
Tanya Talaga
July 24,
Literary Hub,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20sense. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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