trade down

verb

traded down; trading down; trades down

intransitive verb

1

: to trade something in (such as an automobile) for something less expensive or valuable of its kind

2

: to stock or purchase lower-priced items : economize

Examples of trade down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shares in Volkswagen Group, which also owns Skoda and Audi, have tumbled more than 30% over the past 12 months and were trading down almost 2% early afternoon local time on Friday. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Shares are trading down … due to the increase in FY26E capex and limited upside on 2Q EBIT. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 23 July 2026

Someone can trade down at the supermarket and have dinner with friends. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

The data matches a broader trend in which consumers have traded down from higher grade gasoline since prices surged at the start of the war. — Bloomberg, Oc Register, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for trade down

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown