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Showing results for bargaining chip. Search instead for bargaining+chip.
Synonyms

bargaining chip

American  

noun

  1. something, as a concession or inducement, that can be used in negotiating.

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.

Iran may have gained a valuable bargaining chip.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 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

Observers see her as a potential bargaining chip in negotiations with Tehran for the release of French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who are still waiting to leave Iran.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has also condemned the threat of tariffs saying they should "not be a bargaining chip in place of reasonable dialogue between partners".

From BBC • Jan. 19, 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.