: an item of merchandise (such as an automobile or refrigerator) taken as payment or part payment for a purchase
traded in; trading in; trades in
1
: to turn in as payment or part payment for a purchase or bill
trade the old car in on a new one
2
Examples of trade-in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
China has also provided trade-in subsidies for home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and TVs.
—Chan Ho-Him, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Stephen Nellis | Reuters Memory prices have historically traded in cycles of short supply or oversupply, which have dictated the price of the components.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
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Noun
This is about 34% more than the $608 trade-in value currently cited by SellCell.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
China has also provided trade-in subsidies for home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and TVs.
—Chan Ho-Him, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Decades on, the reports mostly reveal how journalists and editors exploited this tragedy to sell newspapers and trade in familiar victim-blaming.
—Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Stephen Nellis | Reuters Memory prices have historically traded in cycles of short supply or oversupply, which have dictated the price of the components.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-in
Cite this Entry
“Trade-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-in. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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