horse trading
present participle of horse-trade
/ˈhɔːrs treɪd/
noun
- A negotiation or exchange in which each side tries to get the best deal, often involving compromise or shrewd bargaining.
- In politics, a horse-trade often happens when parties swap support on different bills.
- The contract was finalized after a long horse-trade between the two companies.
- Their agreement was a classic horse-trade: they gave up parking spaces in exchange for a shorter work week.
verb
- To negotiate or bargain shrewdly, often by making concessions to reach a deal.
- They horse-traded for hours before agreeing on the terms.
- We had to horse-trade with the supplier to lower the price.
- The senators horse-traded votes to get the law passed.