as in to negotiate
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
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as in negotiation
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Recent Examples of horse-trade
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, 6 Jan. 2023
Congress, by contrast, can hold wide-ranging hearings, issue subpoenas, survey and even commission empirical research, weigh fiscal trade-offs, consider constituent popularity, balance different values and interests, horse trade, negotiate, and forge compromises.
—Ian MacDougall, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
Krikorian, from the restrictionist Center for Immigration Studies, argued DACA recipients could have gotten green cards by now, if Democrats had been willing to horse trade for tougher enforcement.
—Dallas News, 18 July 2022
In the early 1960s, the bistate agency took over what was then the struggling Hudson and Manhattan Railroad as part of a horse trade between New Jersey and New York that committed the Port to build the first World Trade Center.
—Paul Berger, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2018
And Paul George finally escaped Indiana, albeit to a dark-horse trade partner in the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Peter Dawson and Pdawson@star-Telegram.com, star-telegram, 13 Dec. 2017
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, 6 Jan. 2023
Congress, by contrast, can hold wide-ranging hearings, issue subpoenas, survey and even commission empirical research, weigh fiscal trade-offs, consider constituent popularity, balance different values and interests, horse trade, negotiate, and forge compromises.
—Ian MacDougall, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
Krikorian, from the restrictionist Center for Immigration Studies, argued DACA recipients could have gotten green cards by now, if Democrats had been willing to horse trade for tougher enforcement.
—Dallas News, 18 July 2022
In the early 1960s, the bistate agency took over what was then the struggling Hudson and Manhattan Railroad as part of a horse trade between New Jersey and New York that committed the Port to build the first World Trade Center.
—Paul Berger, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2018
And Paul George finally escaped Indiana, albeit to a dark-horse trade partner in the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Peter Dawson and Pdawson@star-Telegram.com, star-telegram, 13 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse-trade
Verb
-
Despite attempts to negotiate the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening during an ongoing ceasefire, the narrow waterway remains shut to virtually all ship traffic.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Olthof Homes successfully challenged a $100,000 penalty levied by the town in the Indiana Court of Appeals, so a lower fine was negotiated between the two parties.—
Amy Lavalley,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The morning appetite is a different animal from its midday and evening counterparts; there is no growing anticipation, no gradual negotiation, no consideration of snacks or other stopgaps.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
The 34-year-old airline had been seeking a $500 million government bailout to keep flying, but negotiations failed to nail down a deal.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Mexican cartel figure arrested The Mexican government has dealt another blow to a powerful drug cartel with a high-profile arrest.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
This episode deals pretty much exclusively with the team’s incoming rookie class.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Manager Dave Roberts emphasized the need for strategic compromises with his two-way star to keep him fresh and healthy for the entire season.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a family room/office, a large recreation room, and the separate apartment on the lowest level—an arrangement that can make multigenerational living feel less like a compromise and more like a luxury.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There is an obligation under labor law to bargain over changes to employment during the term of the agreement.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
-
One way to prevent these kinds of cases is for eligibility rules to be collectively bargained with a college athletes’ union or unions.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the middle distance is a human settlement, then a band of golden grasslands, then the arid lower slopes of the Cordilleras, and finally the snowy peaks, including the grand dome of Chimborazo.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Family members finally agreed to a settlement, which became final in 2013.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
These investments aren’t driven by the altruistic goal of ocean conservation—but this work still enables a better understanding of the ocean, perhaps assisting conservation as a positive side-effect.—
Natalie Sum Yue Chung,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
The work foregrounds a preoccupation with light that has shaped Pau’s understanding of the medium from the outset.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The Conservancy will also be running beverage concessions featuring all local beer, wine, and mead.—
Janay Reece,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
The owner who holds out for yesterday’s pricing can discover that extended vacancy carries a cost that is far greater than a small concession would have been.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horse-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse-trade. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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