bargain for
Britishverb
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Also, bargain over . Negotiate about something, usually a price. For example, In open-air markets it is standard practice to bargain for the best price . [Late 1300s]
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Also, bargain on . Expect, be prepared for, as in In planning the picnic, we hadn't bargained for bad weather , or I hadn't bargained on John's coming along . [c. 1800] For a synonym, see count on .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They didn’t even come to the table to try to bargain for some compromise.
From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026
That implies it would be a bargain for investors who put profits first, with a similar view emerging for Amazon, with its PEG ratio of 1.9, versus Walmart at 5.76 and Costco at 5.2.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026
The risk is that a conflict drags on or spirals into something the U.S. didn’t bargain for.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
This would build in higher annual raises without having to bargain for them in every contract cycle.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026
“Lady Asha, I beg you, strike your banners and let me bargain for your life. You have used us fairly, and with honor. I will tell them so.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
