bargaining chip

bargaining chip

Something used during a negotiation that provides one party leverage over another party. The company hoped that its generous benefits package would be the bargaining chip it needed to acquire and retain new talent.
See also: bargain, chip
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bargaining chip

Fig. something to be used (traded) in negotiations. I want to use their refusal to meet our terms as a bargaining chip in future negotiations. I need to have a few bargaining chips ready when we get down to drawing up the contract.
See also: bargain, chip
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • a bargaining counter
  • bargaining counter
  • be (a) party to (something)
  • be party to something
  • party to
  • run as
  • run as (something)
  • Party on!
  • go to (something) as (someone or something)
  • party line, the
References in periodicals archive
"If Hamas saw him as a bargaining chip, today's publication will have a positive effect," the official told Haaretz."If the explosion of this affair leads to dialogue with Hamas on the matter, that would mean progress, as Hamas is hiding the truth."
The spectacle of accredited diplomats being presented to the media as what Slovyansk's insurgency-appointed mayor, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, has described as ''bargaining chips'' provoked disgust in European capitals.
After that, they were only a low-value "bargaining chip" to be put on the table in the improbable event of region-wide negotiations on eliminating all weapons of mass destruction.
However, Al-Maliki added, "Iraq rejects usage of chemical arms from any party as well exploitation of the Syrian people plight as a bargaining chip in the international market of transactions." (end) mhg.rk KUNA 281646 Aug 13NNNN
The Sindh government had previously held off from awarding ministries beyond a handful, hoping to use the cabinet seats as a bargaining chip to woo the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to come over to the treasury benches as coalition partners.
Wieser says the NewFronts hold out the promise of a bargaining chip that buyers desperately want.
Two of the key suspects, living in the West Bank city of Ramallah, are accused of planning to kidnap an Israeli soldier to use as a bargaining chip in a prisoner swap for PFLP head, Ahmed Sdat.
He added that they are holding on to the spot as a bargaining chip with the government.
Summary: Aoun said Tuesday that he agreed to the 1960 electoral law as a "one-time law" and accused the opposition of treating the election law like a bargaining chip for other gains.
The debate comes just prior to the expiry of the mandate for a UN observer mission on July 20, and Lavrov has claimed that the West is using the deadline as a bargaining chip.
Khan said the government has used the issue of the reopening of NATO supply routes as a bargaining chip for getting more money from the U.S.
Using these benefits as a bargaining chip and/or reducing payments at will is disgraceful.
Summary: Analysts say North Sudan may use new currencies as bargaining chip in divvying up oil revenues and other assets as Khartoum remains on US embargo.
Republican lawmakers have used the pact as a political bargaining chip, threatening to block the confirmation of a new commerce secretary and hold up final passage of another deal with South Korea if the administration did not seal a deal with Colombia, as well as another pending agreement with Panama.
Analysts say the sentences appeared unusually harsh and seemed to back up views that the journalists could be used as a bargaining chip by the North in its nuclear standoff with the US.