bargain for

British  

verb

1. (intr, preposition) to expect; anticipate (a style of behaviour, change in fortune, etc)

   he got more than he bargained for

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bargain for Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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 .

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Example Sentences

Israel is refusing to hand over the body of a prominent Palestinian prisoner, drawing scrutiny of the country’s practice of keeping bodies as leverage to bargain for Israeli remains.

From New York Times

If they want draconian spending cuts to happen they have to bargain for them or win a real majority and pass legislation like normal elected officials.

From Salon

A young woman’s bargain for immortality renders her cursed to be forgotten by anyone she meets.

From Washington Post

That’s a bargain for coal plants with the most advanced pollution controls, which would otherwise spend $900 to $1,600 to remove a ton of NOx with their equipment, according to EPA estimates.

From Reuters

All three companies have announced plans to build multiple joint-venture battery factories in the U.S., and only GM thus far has recognized the union to bargain for workers, at a plant near Warren, Ohio.

From Seattle Times