drive a hard bargain

Idioms  

1. Be severe in negotiating a transaction, make an agreement to one's advantage. For example, It's more than I planned to pay, but you drive a hard bargain. This expression, first recorded in 1836, uses the verb drive in the sense of “forcefully carry through.”

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Example Sentences

By preventing creditors from attaching to Iraq’s oil shipments, the country was able to drive a hard bargain.

From Barron's

Since they haggle on behalf of health plans that collectively enroll hundreds of millions of Americans, these PBMs have considerable leverage, and should theoretically drive a hard bargain and win enormous discounts.

From Salon

"This is where we will drive a hard bargain, and problems could arise," cautions Mr Dhar.

From BBC

Experts say that as China is not expected to need additional gas supply until after 2030 Beijing could drive a hard bargain on price for a second pipeline via Siberia.

From Reuters

Turkey's leader likes to drive a hard bargain and his unpredictability has become something of a trademark, but what is Recep Tayyip Erdogan up to now?

From BBC