give-and-take

noun

1
: the practice of making mutual concessions : compromise
2
: a usually good-natured exchange (as of ideas or comments)

Examples of give-and-take in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Says its not easy to find teams to play Alabama, so negotiations required give-and-take. Matt Stahl | Mstahl@al.com, al, 11 Sep. 2023 Aquarius January 20-February 18 There's a very pleasant give-and-take to the day. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 Later, the very real give-and-take between her and a priest (Liam Neeson, superb in a welcome bit of quiet away from action-thriller terrain) is stirring in its unadorned directness. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023 The closest scenario of give-and-take conversations with a room of skeptics is a news conference, and, through the end of July, Biden has averaged about 11 such meetings with reporters annually. Philip Elliott, Time, 23 Aug. 2023 Why shouldn’t the protagonists themselves profit from the give-and-take between publicity and product? Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023 On each of these occasions, quiet diplomacy was followed by a shameless give-and-take in which Turkey received unrelated concessions, including weapons upgrades and the provision of Leopard tanks from Germany. Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2023 There was some good give-and-take — Kyle Dugger picked off Jones on a ball meant for new tight end Mike Gesicki — and the offense did get some shots in, marking a step in the right direction. Christopher Price, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2023 General Daily Insight for June 27, 2023 There's a pleasant give-and-take to this day. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'give-and-take.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1679, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give-and-take was in 1679

Dictionary Entries Near give-and-take

Cite this Entry

“Give-and-take.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give-and-take. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

give-and-take

noun
ˌgiv-ən-ˈtāk
1
: the practice of all sides in a dispute settling for less than they want : compromise
2
: a good-natured exchange of ideas
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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