as in prudence
the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters
pure horse sense should tell you it's dangerous to play with matches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horse sense
Our people have a horse sense for what good work is.
—
Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
My bet is that Smith has that political horse sense.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 8 June 2023
But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Back in 2011, Daniels, a former Bush White House official and two-term Indiana governor known for his conservative horse sense and low-key manner, passed on a White House run and went on to accept the Purdue presidency.
—Frederick Hess, Forbes, 16 June 2022
In an age when Hollywood’s highest-profile parent-child relationship is that between Britney Spears and her father, what could be more refreshing than the homespun horse sense of the Howard boys?
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
People have many ways of talking about intuition: gut, nose, sixth sense, horse sense, Spidey-sense.
—Steve Kolowich, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
My bet is that Smith has that political horse sense.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 8 June 2023
But Lord knows, there’s a mountain of acumen and perspicacity or, in plain terms, good horse sense stored in those minds and souls.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023
Back in 2011, Daniels, a former Bush White House official and two-term Indiana governor known for his conservative horse sense and low-key manner, passed on a White House run and went on to accept the Purdue presidency.
—Frederick Hess, Forbes, 16 June 2022
In an age when Hollywood’s highest-profile parent-child relationship is that between Britney Spears and her father, what could be more refreshing than the homespun horse sense of the Howard boys?
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
People have many ways of talking about intuition: gut, nose, sixth sense, horse sense, Spidey-sense.
—Steve Kolowich, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse sense
Noun
-
This was a chance for Biden to take the high road, to toe the fiscal line and display financial prudence.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
31 Aug. 2025
-
The scene serves as a powerful example of prudence, which is often misunderstood, as the team faces the challenging decision of how to save and manage the energy needed to bring the module back.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The difference is the wisdom to recognize that giving away public-trust land and diminishing our quality of life forsakes the permanent greater good for the temporary benefit of a few developers and residents.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The newlyweds' parents also shared words of wisdom.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This has for decades been underpinned by voluntary pricing agreements — voluntary in the sense that non-voluntary terms would have been worse — between the industry and the NHS.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
-
There is no sense of responsibility or critical assessment of the causes of the refusal to publish in Israel while the massacre continues.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The fire has knocked out the bus’ comms and tracking system — hence the film’s title — leaving Kevin to battle the elements using only his and Mary’s intuition and common sense.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Fortunately, there is at least one Democrat in Chicago who has common sense and seems to be interested in the general welfare of its residents.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The famous wit adds a lot to a story that’s partly an earnest tango with grief, and partly an act of gossip.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Adams’ works celebrated the color and movement through vibrant geometric styles; Shrigley brought forth wit and humor through banana motifs and Stewart leaned into a trippy take on optimism through Pop-Surrealist florals.—
Emily Mercer,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The rest of his campaign was a write-off — no goals or assists in a further 10 Premier League appearances, only four of them starts, before De Zerbi departed that summer amid disagreements over the club’s recruitment policy and a drop to 11th in the final table.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Previously, the airline placed fewer conditions on its refund policy.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horse sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20sense. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share