horse trading 1 of 3

noun (1)

as in bargaining

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horse-trading

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in negotiation

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horse-trading

3 of 3

verb

present participle of horse-trade
as in negotiating
to talk over or dispute the terms of a purchase I horse-traded with the painter: I did his tax returns, and he did my kitchen

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 horse trading
Noun
In discussing these choices, both of which will ding your credit record, try to do a little horse trading. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 4 Dec. 2025 Both sides have priorities, and there is horse trading and eventually compromise, at least on some issues. — Tom Kertscher, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025 Now an obvious fix passed by Congress last year is at risk of unraveling because of partisan horse trading. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 June 2026 As the day wears on, look for horse trading, threats and some old-fashioned political tricks as lawmakers try to push their bills across before the end of business Friday. — AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
This horse-trading process lacks any moral code or transparency. — Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025 The series of votes also came after top Democrats and the White House engaged in their latest horse-trading. — Al Weaver, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026 But turnout has been persistently low, months of horse-trading to form a government are likely to follow, and voters are weary of high levels of corruption. — Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 13 Nov. 2025 There was also an unseemly whiff of insider partisan horse-trading here—two Democrats for two Republicans—in a razor-close chamber. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026 This arrangement, the result of historical horse-trading for Haredi political backing, was unpopular in peacetime. — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse trading
  1. bargaining
  2. negotiation
  3. negotiating
  4. horse trade
  5. auction
  6. dealing
  7. transaction
  8. haggling
Noun
  • Assemblymember Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, whose constituency includes a large number of state employees, said he was disappointed that the governor hasn’t come to the bargaining table to negotiate telework with unions.
    — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • Our bargaining team reached agreement with the union on a number of issues and remains ready to continue discussions at any time.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 30 June 2026
Definition of bargaining
Noun
  • Pavel Mintyukov signs contract extension with Ducks Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov has agreed to five-year contract extension worth $36 million with the Ducks, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told the Associated Press.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • For Shields, who oversees much larger negotiations between 51,000 Actor’s Equity members and groups like Broadway League, which represents Broadway shows, the Casa Bonita fight is small but personal.
    — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of negotiation
Verb
  • The board’s approval of his hire means that the government can begin negotiating his salary and benefits.
    — Sofi Zeman July 2, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • Vahidi has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible permanent end to the war with the United States, experts say.
    — Nasser Karimi, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Definition of negotiating
Noun
  • The rising profile of McHenry and Emmer is likely bullish for crypto bills, as both work to convince Democrats on their committee—and their counterparts over in the Senate—to horse trade over stablecoin and market structure legislation.
    — Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 4 Oct. 2023
  • The blandishments McCarthy might have offered to horse trade his way to the speakership — fancy titles, perks, a fundraising appearance — meant little to those Republican holdouts who would like nothing more than to burn Washington to the ground.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023
Definition of horse trade
Noun
  • People could get maritime insurance there or buy things at auction.
    — James Doubek, NPR, 3 July 2026
  • That auction is expected to draw heavy interest from Amazon and other streamers — not just veterans Fox, NBC, Disney’s ESPN and Paramount’s CBS.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of auction
Verb
  • Norway’s defence stood tall against the Ivory Coast, dealing well with set-piece deliveries and crosses.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, James floated the idea publicly about ending his career in Cleveland and publicly praised the LA Rams for dealing draft picks to ensure a Super Bowl-contending team.
    — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of dealing
Noun
  • The NBCUniversal spin-off is envisioned as a tax-free transaction for shareholders, providing a short-term buffer from deal-making to preserve that structure.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Average transaction values for travel are still high, more than $31,000, but travelers are scrutinizing their receipts and pushing back when rate hikes don't come with better service.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of transaction
Verb
  • In complex leagues — rookie-level leagues held at team training complexes in Arizona or Florida — teams often don’t have enough pitching, which leads to pregame haggling over whether games are played to nine or seven innings.
    — Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • So why does buying B2B software still feel like haggling at a bazaar?
    — Salim Gheewalla, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of haggling

Browse Nearby Words

horse-trade (with)
horse trading
horse-trading
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Cite this Entry

“Horse trading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20trading. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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