1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
the education versus experience trade-off which governs personnel practices—
H. S. White
H. S. White2
: a giving up of one thing in return for another : exchange
trade off
transitive verb
Synonyms
Examples of trade-off in a Sentence
a trade-off in which a company got a celebrity spokesperson and a fading star got some much-needed cash
Recent Examples on the Web
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected a trade-off for an end to the war in return for the hostages’ release, vowing to keep up their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
—Sam Mednick, TIME, 6 May 2024
The utility monopolies, much as some environmentalists are loath to deal with them, may also be open to trade-offs.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Their batteries are also heavy, which means that electric trucks can come up against weight limits on roads, triggering potential trade-offs between energy and precious cargo.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
Free Wix comes with trade-offs, such as ads and limited tools.
—PCMAG, 30 Apr. 2024
The idea — pushed by some real estate agents — was supposed to be a trade-off.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Those tactics, however, tend to increase media attention, so some activists consider the trade-off to be worth it.
—Tim Craig, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
So Harry and his team are exploring the trade-offs and developing a lot of new cells that are much cheaper and lighter: Cells made with thin films of perovskites or semiconductors like gallium arsenide, cells that use quantum dots, or use waveguides or other optics to concentrate the light.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Apr. 2024
For insurers, the tool came with trade-offs: lower payments but potentially more patient complaints.
—Chris Hamby, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Sam Mednick, TIME, 6 May 2024
The utility monopolies, much as some environmentalists are loath to deal with them, may also be open to trade-offs.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Their batteries are also heavy, which means that electric trucks can come up against weight limits on roads, triggering potential trade-offs between energy and precious cargo.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
Free Wix comes with trade-offs, such as ads and limited tools.
—PCMAG, 30 Apr. 2024
The idea — pushed by some real estate agents — was supposed to be a trade-off.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Those tactics, however, tend to increase media attention, so some activists consider the trade-off to be worth it.
—Tim Craig, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
So Harry and his team are exploring the trade-offs and developing a lot of new cells that are much cheaper and lighter: Cells made with thin films of perovskites or semiconductors like gallium arsenide, cells that use quantum dots, or use waveguides or other optics to concentrate the light.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Apr. 2024
For insurers, the tool came with trade-offs: lower payments but potentially more patient complaints.
—Chris Hamby, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trade-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near trade-off
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
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