bargaining chip
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of bargaining chip
First recorded in 1970–75
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.
Few commodity analysts expected the Iran war to last this long, and some were surprised by the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Leading up to his arrest, the sources said, Guzmán López notified U.S. agents that he would be arriving imminently and suggested they would be pleased with his bargaining chip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Now it's no longer going to be able to use Lebanon as a bargaining chip."
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
In addition, Moscow has sought to use its support for Iran as a bargaining chip with Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
“I won’t have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession.”
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
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.
