Verb
drive a hard bargain (third-person singular simple present drives a hard bargain, present participle driving a hard bargain, simple past drove a hard bargain, past participle driven a hard bargain)
To negotiate forcefully.
No one should drive a hard bargain with an artist. Beck
I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying. And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself. Rod Blagojevich